A Perfect Life
by sugar230
Summary: What if Darien broke Serena's heart and didn't get a chance to take it back? What if something horrible happened before he could?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey everyone! This story takes place right after the Darien/Serena break up (as I'm sure you would have figured out in no time). I realize this idea has probably already been done but I though I'd give it a shot anyways. I would really appreciate any reviews, please let me know whether you think I should continue. I'm also using the English dubbed names because (sadly) it's all I'm familiar with. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this series

Chapter 1

The door slammed behind her as Serena struggled to stay standing in the hallway. Despite her lifelong lack of coordination, her stumble had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she was now sitting on her knees in the middle of the corridor. She stared through teary eyes at the door she'd just been shoved out of for several moments before it occurred to her that she couldn't bare to stay in that building for another moment. She got to her feet and raced into the street as fast as her legs would carry her. As she ran she thought of Darien and one word refused to stop resonating through her.

_DESTINY_

They were _destined_ to be together. How could it be that Darien no longer wanted to see her? As she reached the corner Serena stopped running and took a look around. She could hardly see through the tears pouring down her face. She turned the corner and walked slowly towards her house. Her feet seemed to be functioning independently of her mind because her thoughts were miles away and years in the past.

The memories she had of her life in the moon kingdom were still somewhat muddled. She could not remember any single day of her life there but she did remember one thing with more power than any other memories combined and that was the love that she and Darien shared. She could remember standing with him, on her balcony in her palace and the feeling of complete warmth and happiness that flowed through her whenever he took her into his arms. Regardless of the impending danger to herself and her entire kingdom, Serena always felt safe in Darien's arms. She knew he would protect her with his life, because he loved her.

Her mind drifted from the thoughts of her past life long enough for Serena to notice a telephone booth by her side. Unable to walk any longer she went inside. Once isolated in the semi-privacy she fell to the ground and let the tears flow freely.

Darien stayed in the dark hallway for a long time after closing the door on Serena. He knew Rini was in the other room and that he shouldn't leave her alone for too long but at the moment he couldn't seem to stop going over the argument in his mind. He repeated to himself over and over again "_what have I done?"_ She'd come to apologize, to try to cheer him up. The anger in his response surprised even him. Words he didn't recognize and still didn't believe flowed from his mouth and all the while she said nothing. When he looked up to see the tears in her eyes his heart broke in two. Why did she have to be so perfect? He loved her so much. Then as she spoke, with every fiber of his being he wanted to go to her, to take her in his arms and wipe away her tears. To protect her from the evils of the world so that she would never again have to look at him with those eyes so full of pain.

But he couldn't. Serena's life depended on Darien's strength. He had to protect her from himself. He could feel his resolve weakening as the tears began falling to her cheeks so before he could do something he would later regret he grabbed her by the arm and forced her back out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.

A vase of roses stood on the table near the door and Darien found the flowers, which had once provided him with a source of strength and comfort, now looked disgusting. He reached for the vase and threw it against the wall. A satisfying crash met his ears as he sank to his knees in the darkened hallway. He was being such a fool.

He'd broken her heart. The heart of the woman he loved. And all for some dream. Darien was no stranger to nightmares. Growing up alone had provided him with haunting dreams of abandonment and isolation all his life, but there was something different about this dream and he could feel it. The voice seemed so familiar. It was the voice of someone he couldn't help but trust and, try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to ignore it either. As hard as this was going to be on him he had no choice.

And then the thought came to him that Serena deserved more. She shouldn't be forced to wonder why he'd stopped loving her; to look in the mirror and blame herself for losing his affection. The very thought made Darien sick to his stomach. How could she think that he could stop loving her? But he knew in his heart that she would blame herself and so he gathered his resolve and got up off of his knees. He shouted to Rini in the other room that he had to go grab something from the store and that he'd be back soon. Then he left the darkness of his apartment to find Serena and make her understand. The roses lay drying on the carpet.

Serena's thoughts circled around and around in her mind. She'd been trying desperately for longer than she could say to figure out what she had done wrong. What she could have possibly done to make Darien change his feelings so quickly. Her mind began to play cruel tricks on her, providing her with all of the worst scenarios. She was far too young for him. He deserved someone closer to his age that he could be happy with. Maybe it was because she was so clumsy, or because her grades were so low in school. And then finally it came to her. The realization of what had changed for Darien.

Serena was supposed to be the Moon Princess who'd won the love of Darien, Prince of Earth. She was supposed to be regal and beautiful and graceful but she was none of these things in her new life on earth. This girl she'd become, this Serena, was not the Moon Princess that Darien loved, and he must have come to realize that she never would be. No matter how much she might look like the Princess of the past, Darien must have realized that the similarities were only superficial. He'd fallen out of love with her.

Her heart ached as she rose from the ground heavy with despair. She didn't know how she was going to be able to do this without him.

Darien stepped quickly between the people littering the sidewalk. He'd covered the entire distance from his apartment to Serena's house only to find it empty. Serena's family was away. Now he was retracing his steps, was it possible that he'd somehow missed her on the way?

Serena walked with her head down slowly after leaving the telephone booth. As she stopped at the corner to wait for traffic she looked up and there she saw him. Her Darien. His neck was craned and his head turned in another direction. He was looking for something. Maybe it was her! Again her feet began moving of their own accord. Serena was aware of nothing except getting to Darien. She had to tell him that she understood why he'd stopped loving her and that she was going to change for him. He had to know. The screeching of tires didn't even register in her mind.

The screech of brake pads and rubber tore Darien from his thoughts and he turned his head back to the street in front of him. When he saw the scene before him his heart dropped from his chest. His stomach heaved and his knees buckled. This couldn't be happening.

People shouted and honked their horns without understanding what was going on. Those who'd seen what happened were getting out of their vehicles and hurriedly forming a tight ring around a patch of pavement. Darien ignored all of them and pushed his way through until he could see her once more.

Her face was still wet with tears but now the tears had mixed with blood, obscuring her beautiful features. Her blonde hair was slowly turning pink as the crimson blood flowed from a gash on her forehead, covering the ground nearby. Darien knelt down and gathered her up into his arms, paying no attention to the worried gasps and whispers of the bystanders surrounding them. He held her close to him as tears began to fall from his cheeks, mixing with the blood all over his beloved Serena. Her arms hung limply from her side and her eyes were closed, her face expressionless.

In the distance the sirens of an ambulance could be heard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do now own or profit from anything related to this series**

**Chapter 2**

Ami tried to stay calm as she put the phone back on the receiver. She could feel the bile rising in her throat but she struggled not to vomit. She needed to remain calm; after all she really didn't know how serious the situation was yet. Darien had sounded hysterical on the phone and a person in hysterics could hardly be counted on for an accurate portrayal of the situation. A person in hysterics would be, well, hysterical. But not the funny kind of hysterical of course, the crazed kind of hysterical…

Realizing she was becoming somewhat hysterical herself Ami sat down on her bed and took several deep breaths. She needed to think of what to do. The other scouts should know what was happening. Then they could all meet together and go to the hospital to help Darien. On the phone he'd sounded like he was in trouble.

Reaching for her communicator Ami informed the other scouts in short precise words about what had happened. Their shock was plain to see but Ami refused to let them, or herself, give in to panic. It was most important, she told them, that they get to the hospital to be there for Serena. Once there they would be able to find out exactly what state she was in.

* * *

The minutes he spent holding Serena's bloody and battered body were the longest of Darien's life. He paid no attention to anything else around them. All that existed for him was Serena. She had to be okay. He said her name softly over and over again as he rocked her slightly but she wouldn't answer him. Twice someone watching his grief knelt down and tried to offer him some comfort but he refused to acknowledge them let alone answer.

_Were you always lonely?_

_Very much._

_Didn't you have friends?_

_I do now and that's what counts. The past is over. Since I met you I haven't had a single lonely day. You're my family now Serena. _

_Oh Darien… you're right about that Darien. We are family now. And that means I'll do all I can to protect you, forever…_

Serena's words haunted his thoughts as he held her. She'd been willing to give everything to protect him and what had he done for her? It was his fault she was laying here, on the hard asphalt. Well that was going to change. From now on, he vowed, he would be there to protect her.

Suddenly Darien felt strong hands on his forearm. They were trying to pry Serena from his grasp. His grip tightened and he turned away slightly. He wasn't going to let anyone take her from him. He would never let anyone hurt her again.

"Please sir, we need to treat her quickly. We're not trying to take her from you."

Darien didn't realize he'd spoken aloud until he heard the man's response to his challenge. He looked up from Serena's face and saw a young man in a paramedic's uniform kneeling in front of him. Behind him the ring of onlookers was beginning to disperse at the insistence of several police officers. The wail of the ambulance and police sirens was shattering but Darien hadn't even noticed their approach.

He loosened his grip on Serena and laid her gently on the ground, immediately three paramedics began their work. Darien's mind could only register flashes of what was happening around him.

"No pulse, get the defibrillator." One paramedic dashed back to the ambulance while another tilted Serena's head back and performed CPR. Darien saw his mouth lowering to hers and a spark of anger ignited within him. He was about to move forward to tare the man away from her when another paramedic took his arm, distracting him.

The man turned Darien away from the scene and started asking him questions. Darien could no longer see what was happening but he still heard flashes of hurried conversation and a high-pitched tone that he couldn't quite place.

"Sir, are you alright?" Darien realized this was the third time he'd been asked that and that the man in front of him was staring at his chest in some concern. He looked down to see his arms and torso covered in bright red blood. Her blood. Serena's blood.

"I … I'm fine." He managed to stammer. "It's hers."

"Sir, what's your name? Can you tell us her name or what happened to her?"

There was a sudden interruption in the high-pitched tone that made Darien turn back to the scene. As soon as he did he realized what that sound meant. Serena's heart wasn't beating. He answered the man's questions without taking his eyes off of her.

"Her name is Serena. She was hit by a car I … I think. I didn't see."

Suddenly Darien's ears were filled with the most wonderful sound in the world. The steady tone he'd been listening to for what seemed like an hour was replaced by a steady 'beep . . . beep'. She was still there, still fighting. He could still hope.

Finally having her in a somewhat stable condition the paramedics rose carefully with her limp body and began moving towards the open ambulance doors. Darien followed without thinking and no one questioned him as he climbed into the back and took Serena's hand.

* * *

The girls walked silently through the sterile white halls. After reaching the hospital they'd rushed as one to the reception desk and a slightly taken aback woman had told them the floor Serena was on. They would have to ask the reception desk there for the exact room. Now, as they boarded the elevator in silence, each girl ran through the worst possible scenario in their mind but none were as worried as Ami. Try as she might she couldn't forget about the hollow voice Darien had used to tell her about Serena's accident. She knew Darien wasn't one to panic out of turn. Something must be very wrong.

A gentle 'ding' brought the scouts back from their worries and they exited the elevator. They turned slowly in the hall, unsure of exactly where to go until Ami, who was far more familiar with the hospital having visited her mom there hundreds of times, turned down the hall and continued walking. The others followed her, glad to have someone leading them who seemed to be in complete control. They turned the corner and saw a large desk directly in front of them but instead of moving towards it, Ami stopped in her tracks. The others followed her gaze and were too shocked for words.

Sitting on the floor against the wall a few feet away was a broken and defeated Darien. His shirt and jacket were covered in something that looked horribly like blood and his eyes were vacant and staring. Rei walked over to him and knelt in front of him. He didn't look up until all four of the scouts were sitting around him and Rei gently touched his arm. He jumped at her touch and seemed surprised to see them all there.

"Darien, are you alright?" Mina was the first to regain her ability to speak. Darien didn't answer her.

"Darien what happened?"

"She …" Darien's voice shook. He tried to look into the eyes of his friends but couldn't hold their gaze. It seemed to him that they were all glaring at him. They'd already realized that this was entirely his fault.

The girls were frightened to see Darien like this. Each was trying to send him support and looked on him with kindness but he refused to look any of them in the eye. When Darien finally found his voice again they listened raptly, no one interrupting as he told the whole story.

He told them of the nightmares, and his need to protect Serena. He told them that he thought the only way to protect her was to keep her away from him. He told them the horrible things he'd said to her and how he'd thrown her out of his apartment. Tears poured down his face as he told them of his change of heart, that he'd tried to find her to tell her he was wrong but when it came time to tell them of the accident he faltered. He couldn't get the image of her blood soaked body out of his mind. The girls could only stare.

It was at this point that a young doctor with a kind face walked up to the group. He asked them whether they were there to see the young woman who'd been brought in to emergency earlier. When they told him that they were he sighed and asked them all to have a seat.

"Are any of you family?" He asked once they were seated around him. Several concerned glances passed between the scouts but it was Ami who spoke first.

"We're all family." She replied simply.

Looking between them the doctor could see that this was simply not true, at least in the physical sense, but he didn't have the heart to tell them that he was not allowed to divulge personal information except to family members. It was plain to see that they were very worried about his patient so he decided to continue.

"Well, in many senses that young woman–"

"Serena." Darien interrupted with pain in his voice.

"Uh, yes sorry, well Serena's very lucky to be alive. The vehicle hit her at a substantial speed. We had to repair her left arm surgically and her body has been badly bruised. She lost a lot of blood at the scene," he glanced at Darien's shirt as he said this, "So we can't be sure of the long term damage yet. If she makes it through the night we'll know more."

Lita spoke first, just one simple word, "if?"

"I'm sorry," the doctor continued, "but your friend is in a coma right now. We can't say whether there will be any lasting neurological damage until she wakes up, the sooner the better."

Tears were now streaming steadily down the face of everyone there. How could this have happened? Serena was clumsy yes, but she'd always seemed to have some sense of indestructibility about her. Now she could die. Why her?

The doctor continued with sympathy in his voice, "If you'd like to see her visiting hours are until four and she's in room 416." He turned to walk away but stopped and added, almost as an afterthought, "and I suggest you inform her family as soon as possible."

* * *

Five friends walked silently down the hall, glancing at the doors on their right side as they walked _412… 414…416._ This was it. Serena lay just beyond that door. They all stood, unable to open it. Somehow each of them imagined that when they opened the door they would see Serena sitting up in bed smiling, possibly shoveling her mouth full of disgusting hospital cuisine while complaining loudly that the sheets were uncomfortable. No one wanted to open the door and end their fantasy. After what seemed like forever, Mina stepped forward and turned the door handle.

An audible gasp escaped someone's lips. The room was white, plain and sterile. A steady beeping assured them that Serena was alive although they wouldn't have guessed it from her appearance. Her skin was white and lifeless; she was covered in tiny cuts and deep purple bruises contrasted sharply with her pale face. A grey blanket covered her body just above her torso so they couldn't see the rest of her body but her left arm had been placed carefully above the blanket and they could see the cast covering it from her fingertips to her shoulder.

"This is all my fault." Darien hadn't walked to the bed with the scouts. He stood in the doorway staring at Serena and when the girls looked back at him they could see that tears were still streaming from his hollow eyes. No one seemed to be able to think of an appropriate response, some way to console him and ensure him that this wasn't his fault. To the intense shock of everyone present it was Ami who spoke but not with a comforting and sympathetic tone. Her voice was hard and fiery.

"You're damn right this is your fault Darien! How could you do this to her? You broke her heart! You hurt her so badly and she stepped in front of a truck! She could die here today and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Four blank faces turned to Ami. No one said anything, they could only stare at their usually kind and withdrawn friend. Darien stared at them each for a moment, cast a last glance at Serena lying lifeless in the bed, and then turned and walked out of the room. He didn't close the door behind him and the scouts could hear the sounds of his footsteps quickening until he was sprinting down the hall and away from them as fast as he could.

**A/N: There're the first two chapters. Please let me know whether you think I should keep writing:)**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this series.

Chapter 3

Darien was out of the hospital and back onto the public street before he really realized he'd left the hospital room. The tears he'd let himself cry alone in the elevator were dry on his cheeks. As soon as the elevator door had opened and he'd found himself in the busy hospital lobby he'd put his wall back up and now as he walked down the sidewalk, he tried to reinforce that wall and keep himself from breaking down again.

It was only when he reached the street corner that he looked around for the first time and realized how very far he was from home. He hadn't thought about it when he stormed out of Serena's room but the hospital was on nearly the other side of the city from where he and Serena lived. He'd ridden in the ambulance on the way there but how was he supposed to get home?

Knowing full well there was nothing else he could do, Darien turned in the direction of his apartment and started walking. As he went he berated himself for the way things had turned out today. He'd stormed out of the house without thinking, with absolutely no plan whatsoever. He hadn't thought to grab his cell phone or even his wallet. Something in the back of his mind told him he was forgetting something else but he couldn't quite seem to place it.

Of course, when he stopped to think about, he realized that he was only focusing on stupid things like his wallet and whether he'd left the television on to keep his mind from the horrible vision of Serena's face, how her eyes had closed and refused to open no matter how hard he begged, and how much he already missed the sound of her laughter. As surprised as he'd been by Ami's outburst at the hospital, he couldn't say he didn't deserve it. Though the last person he would have expected to confirm his worries would have been Ami, the fact still remained that what she said was true.

'_I guess after a lifetime of never saying quite what was on her mind, she finally snapped and had to come right out with the truth,'_ he thought to himself bitterly.

Darien's trip home was filled with these negative thoughts but he walked quickly. He still couldn't place what he'd left unattended but he was certain it was something important. He was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice the curious stares of the people he passed along the way. Some stopped and boldly pointed at his shirt, which was after all still covered in blood, but Darien saw right through them. That was, until a particular voice called out to him.

He hadn't realized he'd come so close to home until he pulled his head out of his thoughts and heard a friendly voice calling his name.

"Hey, Darien!" Andrew yelled and waved from in front of the arcade, "Have you seen the girls they …"

The colour drained from Andrew's face as Darien got closer and for the first time he remembered what he must look like. Andrew tried to stammer out a question but couldn't seem to find the words so Darien finally put him out of his misery.

"It's not mine and I don't want to talk about it." He barked out far more callously than he'd intended. "And the girls won't be in today… Serena's in the hospital."

Andrew was about to question him further when Darien decided he had to get away from there. He had to get away from people and their staring; they're judging. He took off again towards his apartment, walking quickly and leaving a stupefied friend looking after him on the sidewalk.

It wasn't until Darien opened the door to his place that he was painfully reminded of what he'd forgotten… literally. As soon as he stepped through the door a small tidal wave with pink hair collided with his legs, nearly knocking him to the ground. Rini shrieked Darien's name in glee when she realized he'd come home but that shriek became a scream when she looked up to see Darien's face and instead saw the crimson dried blood covering his shirt only inches from her nose.

"Darien! What happened?! You were gone for so long Darien, I was scared!"

Sighing inwardly Darien answered Rini as calmly as he could. He tried to explain to her what had happened to Serena but his mind was having a hard time getting over his astonishment at the fact that he'd actually forgotten all about leaving Rini alone in his apartment. I mean on top of everything else, what kind of person leaves a child in an apartment unsupervised for hours?

Darien was forced to bring his attention back to Rini when she began tugging on his arm. Apparently this child was not at all fond of being ignored, especially when she was frightened and needed to know what was going on. She led him back into his living room and then yanked him down onto his couch and sat beside him. Then she simply stared at him, clearly waiting for him to tell her what on earth was going on.

Darien turned and looked at the child sitting next to him. He didn't know why but he felt such a strong bond with her; one that he couldn't explain. He didn't want to see the look of horror on her face when he told her what had happened so he tried to word things as delicately as possible.

"Well Rini" he started, "while I was out, Serena got hurt and I had to take her to the hospital."

"She's such a klutz." Rini giggled. Darien winced as she said it though, so she soon stopped laughing and gazed up at him in confusion.

"She's hurt pretty badly." Darien managed to answer Rini's question but couldn't bring himself to mention the word 'coma' aloud.

"But… but her parents are out of town." Now Rini's voice carried the same concern that Darien felt. "Her whole family was going away and she agreed to watch over me until they came back."

Darien didn't know why on earth Serena would have agreed to spend a weekend alone with Rini, especially since the girls seemed to annoy one another to no end. His guilt intensified when he realized she had probably stayed home to be with him. Not that it had done her any good. Now there really was no way for Darien to get in touch with Serena's parents and tell them what was going on.

Darien pulled his arm out of Rini's grasp and stood up off the couch. He walked to his patio door and gazed out at the street. Rini sat and watched him silently. Even as a child she realized that things were bad and he needed some time to think. For the first time Darien realized that while he'd been walking around the city the sun had gone down. The city was bathed in twilight. It would have been beautiful on any other day but now he didn't even notice the way the streetlamps cast a gentle glow on the sidewalk, or the bright light given off by the full moon.

"Come on Rini," he said, turning from the scene before him. "You should get some sleep. You can stay here, in my bed."

It wasn't long before Rini had fallen into a dream-filled slumber, dressed in one of Darien's shirts and sleeping in his oversized bed. Darien watched her for a few moments before closing the door to his bedroom gently and walking back into the living room. He sat on the couch and let out a long sigh. It wasn't until he was pulling a blanket over his legs that he realized how truly exhausted he was. Despite all his doubts and worries Darien was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the soft, feather pillow. Within minutes he was tossing fretfully as he dreamed.

Again he saw himself in a beautiful, well-fitted white suite. His arm was draped over Serena's shoulders as he led her out of a church. Friends and family were all around, laughing and applauding the new couple as they walked towards their limousine. Serena was an angel. A long white gown floated around her as they walked and her hair, done in the same style it had always been, was laced with hundreds of tiny white flowers. Her eyes shone with the love and adoration she held for her new husband and his eyes mirrored the same emotions he had for her.

Then, suddenly the dreamed changed. Serena was still in the beautiful gown but her eyes were filled with sorrow. She was standing alone on the edge of a cliff.

"Serena?" Darien tried to reach out to her but she was too far away. As he watched she refused to move closer to him. Instead she turned her head.

A familiar voice began taunting Darien relentlessly. The voice told him that he had to protect Serena or something horrible would happen to her. Darien wanted desperately to help her; but why was she still turning away from him?

The blanket covering Darien twisted around his body as he tossed and turned in his sleep. He moaned soft, incomprehensible words as he dreamt. The blankets wrapped him tighter and tighter until he felt as though he couldn't breathe and still the dream continued.

As the scene wore on Darien began to realize that he could no longer distinguish between the ominous voice and his own. He was still trying to get close enough to hold Serena, to wrap her in his arms and protect her from the world, when the rocks she was standing on began to crumble beneath her. Darien shouted to her but she made no effort to move, she didn't even look at him as she fell into a dark and clouded abyss. Darien screamed for her in his dream but even as he shouted he noticed the dream had changed. Where once a strangely familiar yet ominous voice had warned him to protect Serena, now his own voice chanted over and over again _what have you done Darien?_

_What have you done!?_

Darien bolted upright on his couch and stared around the room, trying to catch his breath. He could still see Serena's hollow eyes as she vanished into oblivion. Eventually his breathing slowed and he was able to stand up and head into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. He drank slowly, still willing his heart to stop racing.

Darien opened his bedroom door slowly and made sure his fitful sleep hadn't woken Rini. Sure enough she was still sound asleep on the bed. Knowing she wasn't likely to wake up for hours, Darien walked back to his living room and picked up the phone. He needed to make a call.

* * *

Less than forty minutes later Darien walked back into the hospital lobby, thinking how glad he would be if he never had to see that place again. Thankfully, due to the late hour, the building now seemed deserted and he was able to make his way to an office on the third floor without seeing another person. When he reached the door he was looking for he knocked quietly and waited for a response before walking in. 

The room behind the door was almost completely filled with a large wooden desk. The desk was covered in stacks of loose paper, file-folders and mail trays and looked as if it hadn't been organized in years. Behind the desk sat a woman with flowing red hair and bright green eyes who smiled as soon as Darien walked in.

"Darien," she exclaimed brightly, seemingly unconcerned about the lateness of the hour. "I'm so glad to see you again darling, we've let our visits grow far too infrequent!"

Darien looked at her bright face and tried to return her smile but failed miserably. "I'm glad to see you too Janet. Umm, sorry about how late it is…" He glanced at the clock sitting on the corner of her desk and noticed that the little hand had yet to reach the three.

Janet dismissed Darien's comment with a wave of her hand but her eyes grew concerned at his tone. She'd known him more than long enough to know that something was very wrong in this young man's life.

"Darien? What is it?"

Instead of trying to figure out how Janet knew something was wrong (he'd given up trying to understand her frighteningly accurate intuition years ago) he chose to give her a straight answer. "The truth is I'm here because I need a favor. A friend of mine is … well she's fighting for her life a floor above us. I want you to get me into her room so I can be with her."

Janet was shocked by his words but didn't ask for any further explanation. She immediately stood up, extricated herself from the paper laden desk, and led Darien out the door towards the stairs.

Five minutes later Darien had shown Janet to room 416 and she opened the door for both of them. The sight of Serena lying motionless in the same position he'd left her in broke Darien's heart. He dragged a chair from the corner of the room to her bedside and sat down, taking her hand as he did so. Janet walked into the room behind him but still asked no questions. Moving to the end of Serena's bed, she lifted her chart from its holder and began to read. Her soft voice barely reached Darien's mind but he was able to distinguish the words as she said them.

"It says here she's doing much better than expected." She read aloud for him, "Doctors are beginning to think she will regain consciousness."

Darien's eyes watered with joy. That was the first good news he'd heard all day. He just knew Serena would make it. Out loud he only said, "She's a fighter."

Janet didn't know who this girl was, or even what her name was, but she could see how important she was to Darien and had no desire to push him when he was obviously already upset. Without a word she replaced the girl's file and walked out of the room, leaving the couple alone.

* * *

Pain. And noise. Wait? Was the noise causing the pain? No, that wasn't it. The pain meant something… or was it the noise? Yes, the noise meant something. A beep. Her heart. It meant her heart was beating. It was the only noise she could make out. Everything seemed far away. Even the pain was coming from a distance. 

Another feeling. Warm. Looking down, her small white hand disappeared inside another. The other hand was larger and must have belonged to …him. He was sitting beside her, his hair fell gently onto his face. When he looked up, she was concerned to see that there were tears in his eyes, but then he couldn't be too upset because he was smiling at her. It was such a beautiful smile; she couldn't help but return it.

* * *

Darien wasn't sure how long it's been since Janet left but it really didn't matter to him. He just sat there, mostly watching Serena but sometimes losing himself in his thoughts. His head drooped slightly and he was considering sleep when suddenly he felt it. Her hand had contracted in his! 

He looked up and was greeted by the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. Serena's eyes, those amazingly bright, blue, full-of-life eyes, were open! His eyes filled with tears of joy as he looked down at her and smiled. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw her return his smile, albeit somewhat weakly. He soon realized that he couldn't contain his jubilance. This was surely a miracle!

"Oh Serena you're awake!" He reached down and pulled her into his arms, hugging her gently as he'd feared he never would again. "I'm so happy Serena!"

Serena was taken aback by the outpouring of emotion, though she couldn't say she wasn't pleased. His happiness was infectious and as he hugged her she surprised herself by letting out a small laugh. Despite the pain she was in, being in his arms seemed to make things a bit easier to stand. She decided she should probably answer him.

"I'm glad you're happy," she finally said quietly, "and I am too. But please, can you tell me … Who is Serena?"

**Sorry! I hate to end it there but I think I must. I know you probably all called that happening but I hope you're not too disappointed. I plan to add something which may or may not (I'm not really sure) be more original in the chapters to come. Unfortunately, the next update may be a little later because my first round of university exams are coming soon and I really need to study, but I promise to update as soon as I can. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, the reviews are greatly appreciated (hinthint). And a big thanks out to my beta (you know who you are). Hope you're enjoying the story!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this series

Chapter 4

His legs were sore and the room was slowly becoming lighter. Darien had been sitting in the cold, silent room watching her sleep for hours. He hung his head and sighed. It was a long, soft sound but he needed to hear something besides the constant beeping of the heart monitor. Darien looked up at the machine monitoring Serena's life. The incessant beeping was driving him insane, he hated that sound more than anything, but he prayed with every fiber of his being that it would not stop. The silence in the room made his heart ache. It was so unnatural for any room with Serena in it to be quiet, even for an instant.

Looking down at his watch, Darien realized that he should go. As much as he hated to leave Serena's side, visiting hours would be beginning soon and he was sure Serena's friends would be back to see her as soon as they were allowed. He couldn't bear to face them again. And he had Rini to think about, he should be home when she woke up. He was about to rise to his feet when suddenly he felt it.

It was almost nothing, barely a touch, but he felt it. Her fingers were moving and slowly, ever so slowly, he felt the pressure on his palm increasing. She was holding his hand! He stared at his own fingers and at her tiny wrist. Her hand fit within his perfectly. Eventually he dragged his eyes away from her hand and looked at her eyes. His heart skipped a beat when he saw those beautiful blue irises gazing up at him. Her eyes were open, she was awake!

For a moment he was sure he was dreaming, that this was all some amazing fantasy and he would wake up on the uncomfortable couch in his living room any moment. But then she smiled and he knew it was real. Even a fantasy couldn't compare with the beauty he saw in that smile. Her face lit up when she smiled and Darien knew that now everything would be alright. As long as she was awake the world would keep on turning. Before he knew what he was doing he had gathered her up in his arms and was squeezing her gently. He knew he was talking but had no idea what he was saying. He was happier than he had ever been before in his life. Then, three small words brought it all crashing to a halt. Three small words hurled him even further into hell.

"Who is Serena?"

* * *

The second those words left Serena's lips she realized the answer with horror. The terror stricken expression on the face of the man who'd been hugging her answered her question long before he found the words. But if she was Serena, then…? 

Suddenly it hit her, hard. This was all wrong; when she thought back, when she tried to search her memory, she came up with nothing. She couldn't remember anything about who she was, where she was, or who on earth this man was that still stared at her speechlessly (although she did know that she was very willing to find out).

The notion that she knew nothing about … anything overwhelmed Serena completely. She felt tears welling in her eyes but did everything she could to keep them from falling. The guy in front of her was looking at her now with an unreadable expression and she wasn't sure if she should burst into tears in front of him. She bit her bottom lip and tried to grin at him (god he was so cute) until he could find something to say.

* * *

Darien couldn't think of anything to say so he just sat there on the side of Serena's bed and stared at her face. He watched a myriad of emotions cross her face and struggled to determine how he could be so happy and so completely distraught at the same time. He saw the panic in her eyes when she realized who Serena was. Her expression was mirrored in his eyes when he realized she didn't know, but then, to his absolute amazement, he saw her expression change. 

He watched the panic in her beautiful face slowly fade into worry and sadness. Her eyes welled up and Darien inwardly braced himself for the inevitable onslaught of tears. He would help her through this no matter what; he would be there for her, but what could he say to help someone who had lost everything, including themselves? Then, before he'd finished puzzling over the best things to say and do, he saw Serena bite her bottom lip and offer him the slightest of grins. He couldn't believe it. She was smiling.

"Hey there." He managed to get out.

"Hello." Her voice was weak and he could almost hear the pain she was in, but she kept the smile on her face.

"I'm glad you're awake." Darien tried to keep the conversation going while his mind continued racing in the background. "I … need to go get a doctor." The words tumbled over his tongue and out of his mouth before he'd even come to that conclusion, but even as he said it he knew that that was the best thing to do. It was important someone know Serena was awake and that she get checked out by a doctor.

The blonde's face fell slightly at Darien's words but she managed to maintain the smile as he got up from his chair and walked across the room.

"Now don't you go anywhere," Darien's attempt at a joke seemed pathetic even to him but he was thrilled when Serena kept smiling and even sent him a hint of a wink. The second he heard the soft 'click' of the door closing, he took off at full speed towards the nurses' desk.

To say the nurse on duty was surprised when a well dressed but haggard looking young man came skidding to a halt in front of her desk in the middle of the night would have been an understatement. Nevertheless she immediately called a doctor when she saw him and within two minutes the man took off again, this time with a curious doctor in tow behind him.

"I'm Doctor Kenshi" the older man offered.

"Darien" was the only reply he got as they raced down the hall.

Darien was too out of breath to explain to the doctor what was going and he was pleased the man didn't bother with any questions. He simply kept pace with Darien as he ran back down the hall to Serena's room. The doctor was unfamiliar with the specifics of the patient in room 416, he only knew that a young girl had been in an accident and wasn't expected to survive. He wrinkled his brow in worry, believing that the worst must have happened, and tried to get ready to console the young man in front of him. When the door opened and he saw a young girl sitting up in her bed he was at a complete loss for words.

"But, how can this…?" The doctor walked past Darien and went straight for the girl's chart. His mind raced back to the conversation he'd had in the locker room with a friend less than twelve hours ago.

_He'd just been putting on his coat and preparing for the start of his shift when a fellow doctor, someone he'd known for years, came into the locker room looking depressed. The man slumped onto the bench between two rows of lockers and just stared at the tiles on floor beneath his feet. _

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Oh, hey Steven." The depressed response was completely uncharacteristic of Kenshi's friend. He sat next to him on the bench and tried again._

"_What's wrong?"_

_His friend sighed. "I just had to kick four teenagers out of a room where their friend is dieing because visiting hours are over. You know sometimes I hate my job." _

_Kenshi was sympathetic and let his friend vent his frustrations but deep down both of them knew that that was the job and that it wasn't going to change. _

This couldn't possibly be the same girl his friend had grieved over just yesterday. She looked fine. Sure she was a bit battered and bruised, but he had never seen a coma victim with such a bleak prognosis sitting up in bed before. Glancing at the girl's chart only confirmed that this should not be happening.

"So," Dr. Kenshi looked back at the file in his hands "Serena?"

"So I'm told." Serena answered, trying desperately to lighten up the mood a bit. She was horribly confused and frightened and didn't want to be alone again.

"Amnesia" Darien offered from the doorway.

The doctor looked back at Darien and then decided he had better speak with the patient alone. As politely as he could he asked the young man to leave and then began speaking to the miracle sitting on the bed in front of him.

Darien was reluctant to leave Serena's side again but did as the doctor requested. Once out in the hall he sucked in a deep breath. Sinking to knees he inhaled the sterile hospital air greedily, as if he hadn't taken a real breath all day. The guilt, panic and desperation he'd been feeling since he heard the horrible sound of screeching brakes left him in an instant and he was left with only the overwhelming joy; Serena was alive.

A single tear slipped out of the corner of Darien's eye as he sat on the white tiled floor, but he only allowed himself to wallow in the joy of Serena's recovery for a moment before the reality of her situation set in. She remembered nothing, her parents still didn't know and he had no way of informing them, and Rini was asleep in his bed at the very moment. What was he going to do?

Darien tried not to panic and focused on the only thing he knew to be true. He had to help Serena. He had to do what was best for her, what would help her through this and make her happy. After all, who was better to help her adjust to this than Darien? He'd lost his memory when he was a child and could relate to how Serena was feeling. And he loved her, god he loved her more than life itself. This time he swore to himself he would do right by Serena. He would do whatever it took to make her happy, to give her the perfect life.

In the middle of Darien's musings Dr. Kenshi came out of Serena's room and saw him sitting on the ground. Before he could stand up and much to Darien's surprise, the older man slid down the wall and sat on floor next to Darien, his coat bunched around his shoulders.

"Let me start by saying I do not understand this. She seems in fine health, except for her injuries. I can't explain why she came out of the coma."

"That doesn't matter now," Darien said. "What about her memory?"

"Frankly," the doctor answered, "I'm amazed that's the only mental damage she's suffered. With a blow to the head like that, and considering how long her brain was without oxygen…"

"So she may not regain her memory?"

"It's almost impossible to say. An hour ago I would have told you she probably wasn't going to wake up but we just carried on a five minute conversation. I can't say what will happen"

Darien decided that this was better than he'd expected and thanked the doctor profusely for coming to his aid. The doctor returned his thanks and told him that it was a nice change to be able to deliver some good news in this ward of the hospital. Both men got up, shook hands and then Dr. Kenshi walked back down the hall and Darien returned to Serena's room.

He sat down in the chair he'd been in all night and looked again at Serena's face. He concluded that her smile was the most beautiful thing on this earth and that he never wanted to see it disappear. Feeling a little awkward under this man's constant scrutiny, Serena was the first to speak.

"The doctor told me I was hit by a truck, and that you stayed with me until the paramedics came." Darien nodded. "Thank you."

"Serena you don't have to …"

"I … uh, can't remember your name." she added, almost apologetically.

Darien tried not to let her see his heart breaking as he introduced himself to the woman he loved. "Darien … Darien Shields."

"Oh," Serena said. She tried to find the name in her memory. To conjure up any images of herself with this man who so obviously cared about her, but to no avail. There was just nothing there. Her face fell. Darien looked down so that she couldn't see his eyes. She wished he would look up at her, he had such beautiful eyes. "Darien…?" She began timidly after a minute of silence.

"Yes?"

"Well, you know me well… don't you?"

"Yes."

"Can you … can you tell me? About myself I mean?"

A lump formed in Serena's throat as she spoke the words and again she fought back tears. She bit her lip again but this time couldn't keep the tears from filling her eyes until she was forced to blink and they tumbled down her face. Darien reached forward and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. The girl who sat before him was so different. She was so quiet and timid; withdrawn. There was nothing of his Serena in there. He had to help her find herself. This was his chance to make things right, to give Serena the life she deserved. He wouldn't fail her again.

"Of course," He answered, but in his mind he was already thinking about the steps he needed to take to give the girl he loved the life she deserved.

**A/N: I know it's short and I apologize but the next chapter will be out in a couple of days (promise). Please review I love reading them. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this series.**

Chapter 5

Serena was troubled and confused and her mind raced with a million questions but no matter how desperately she wanted to talk to Darien and figure out who she was, her body refused to allow it. Her bruised and battered bones ached with fatigue and within minutes her eyelids were drooping. Darien noticed this and began rubbing soothing circles on her back. He told her he would be there when she woke up and in minutes she was fast asleep.

With Serena asleep Darien knew he had to get to work. If he was going to put his plan into action he was going to need a lot of help and he knew exactly who he could turn to. Leaving Serena's room he headed back to the third floor. Standing in front of a familiar door he took a deep sigh and then walked in. Janet was sitting by her desk, her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply. Darien thought she was asleep but when he walked into the room he saw a smile stretch across her face.

"Darien," she said without opening her eyes "I'd hoped you'd be back to explain all this."

"Janet, you've done a lot for me and I'm sorry but I need to ask for more. I need your help Janet, desperately."

The anxiety in his voice made the woman open her eyes and look into his face. He'd never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but she thought she could see the pain he was in. She couldn't remember seeing an expression like that on his face since she'd met him all those years ago…

_A bored and unhappy little boy with dark hair and stunning blue eyes crawled out of the bed where he was supposed to be resting and slipped silently out of his room. Crawling past the nurses' desk to keep from being noticed, he made his way to the stairs and began the familiar climb to the roof. He loved to watch the sunset. And even more he loved to watch the moon rise. _

_He wasn't watching where he was going and failed to notice when the door to the fifth floor opened and someone stepped into the stairwell. Darien almost walked into her, stopping only when he noticed her delicate high-heeled shoes on the floor directly in front of him. He knew he was busted but he looked straight into the woman's eyes, refusing to back down._

"_Well hello," the young woman said to him kindly. Her flowing red hair reached her neck and clashed horribly with a pink skirt suit she was wearing but she was very pretty nonetheless. "What are you doing here all alone?"_

_For some reason Darien, who'd been consistently difficult when dealing with all the nurses in the children's ward, took a liking to this woman. She didn't seem to be angry with him at all; merely curious as to what he was doing on the stairs. Instead of running back to the third floor and hiding in his bed, he decided to answer the lady._

"_I'm Darien," he said meekly, "and I was just going to the roof … to – to watch the sunset."_

_To his surprise the woman smiled at him and leaned forward offering her hand._

"_That sounds like a wonderful idea Darien. My name is Janet, may I join you?"_

_Darien took her hand and the two made their way to the roof together. He felt comfortable around her and told her all about his time at the hospital and how much he wished he could remember his parents. When he cried, she held him close and let his tears pour all over her blouse. And when he told her how much he longed for a friend, she told him that she would gladly accept him as a friend, and try to be one in return. _

_They talked until the moon was high in the star-filled sky and then Janet, realizing how late it was and noticing Darien's failed attempt to stifle a yawn, walked with him back to the third floor. He was thrilled when she showed him her new office on the third floor not far from his room and told him he could come and talk to her any time he wished._

The man standing before her now reminded Janet so strongly of the lost and depressed little boy she'd found in that stairwell so long ago. Before he could make any request of her she took his hand and led him to the spot on the roof where'd they spent many a night talking about their troubles. Janet had found a confidant in Darien just as he'd found a friend in her and she missed they visits they used to have. The sun was just reaching over the horizon as they sat and the sky was still tinged with hues of pink and orange.

"The girl in that room … her name is Serena and she's my … I love her with all my heart."

Janet listened without making a sound but she was shocked that Darien would say something like this. She hadn't believed he was capable of trusting someone with his heart, let alone telling her so openly about it. But then, he had changed recently, perhaps it was because of this love he held. He continued talking as Janet contemplated his words.

"She woke up a few minutes ago." Janet looked over at Darien with a smile, ready to share in his celebration but he remained stone-faced. "She doesn't remember anything, not me, not her friends, not even herself."

"Darien I'm so sorry. Do you need to talk?"

"…That's not why I'm here. Janet I … I screwed up pretty badly. It's my fault she got hurt in the first pace. I just have to make it up to her Janet, but I need your help."

"Darien, of course it's not your–"

"Save it," he snapped, "will you help me or not?"

"Darien, of course I'll help you, whatever you need." She spoke cautiously; the hardness in Darien's voice almost scared her. She'd never heard him talk like that to anyone before.

"Thank you so much," Darien said. He took Janet's hand in his and gazed into her eyes. She could see the pain and desperation there and her heart went out to her friend. "I need you to talk with Serena's doctor. Now that she's awake I need to take her home with me. I have to give her the life she deserves."

Janet gasped as Darien outlined his plan. Whatever his intentions, this could never work.

"Darien!" she said after a long moment of silence "you know I can't do that. The doctor will never release her to your care if you're not a family member. You need to think of what's best for her!"

"I AM!" Darien shouted pounding his fist into the concrete beside him. Janet winced at his tone but he continued now speaking in a beaten and dejected voice. "Please Janet, I know her, I know what she needs. I have to make this up to her by giving her what she's always wanted."

Janet took a long minute of silence to decide what she should do. While she knew what Darien was asking was against hospital policy, she also knew that she pulled enough weight to make it happen. Since he was a child, they had always trusted one another. She couldn't help but trust him now. She agreed to help him.

* * *

When Darien returned to Serena's room he was accompanied by a worried Janet and stony-faced doctor. Serena was still asleep but she woke up as soon as he brushed his fingers gently across her cheek. She looked at Darien and smiled, then noticed the other people in the room and shot Darien a curious glance.

"Serena," Darien explained, "this is my friend Janet and Dr. Senshi."

Serena smiled at both of them but didn't say anything.

"Honey, do you remember asking me to tell you all about who you are?" She nodded again.

"Well, I've asked these doctors and they've agreed to let me take care of you. I'm going to take you home; to our home!" Darien's excitement at the announcement was obvious but Serena was clearly taken aback.

"We … we live together?" She couldn't believe her luck. Here she'd just met the most handsome man she'd ever seen (though she supposed this wasn't saying much considering she'd only seen two so far) and he was telling her that they lived together! Maybe when he took her home she would be able to remember more about her past.

"Yes," Darien lied. He smiled and held out a paper bag for Serena. Inside was a change of clothes Janet had provided, seeing as how the clothes Serena had been wearing when she was hit had been cut away from her body and ruined. While Darien and Dr. Kenshi waited outside, Janet helped Serena change into a light blue sweater and matching skirt.

Though it wasn't a perfect fit, when Darien saw her standing in front of him smiling he thought she looked like an angel. Her broken arm hung at her side in a sling and her face was still pretty badly bruised, but when she smiled Darien could feel the weight of the world lifting off his shoulders. He wrapped a protective arm around her waist and led her down the hall into the elevator.

When they reached the steel doors Darien pressed the 'down' button and then left Serena in the hall and stepped back to share a final word with the doctors talking quietly a few feet away. Both warned him to be careful with Serena and not to rush her. It was important not to push her too hard or he may do more harm than good. Darien agreed and thanked them profusely for allowing him to help her. He promised them both that at the first sign of trouble he would bring her back to the hospital. When he heard the high-pitched 'ding' announcing the arrival of the elevator, he rushed back to Serena's side and slipped his arm around her shoulders once again.

Serena leaned in to his chest and sighed with contentment. Darien was thrilled that she was comfortable with him and seemed to trust him to take care of her. Though nothing was said between them, he knew he was doing the right thing for her and that he would be able to make her happy again. He would give her a new life.

Thinking only about the life Serena deserved, Darien reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and felt the reassuring touch of a cold crystal. He held Serena's locket in his hand for a moment before returning it to his pocket where he knew it was safe. 'Sadly,' he thought to himself, 'Sailor Moon is not going to be a part of Serena's new life.'

**A/N: Again many thanks go to my readers, reviewers and especially my beta. Please review I just love reading them. I hope to update with more soon (I'll try hard not to let these pesky exams get in my way. Haha).**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this series.**

Chapter 6

Serena followed her tall, dark haired guardian into the elevator silently. Her mind raced with the impossibility of her situation. She couldn't believe that she had managed to attract such a nice man; if only she could remember how she'd done it. Suddenly the horrible thought occurred to her, as they always seem to in our weakest moments, that if she couldn't remember who she was, how was she supposed to be the person this man loved? She puzzled over her new dilemma as the elevator carried them to the hospital lobby and Darien led her out the front doors onto the street.

Serena had no idea what time it was but she did know that the sun shone painfully into her eyes as she turned the corner to follow the man before her. He'd already pulled a pair of black sunglasses out of his pocket and seemed oblivious to the light but Serena's head started pounding even more painfully than when she'd woken from her short-lived coma. She lowered her head and focused on the dark sidewalk in front of her feet and, as a result, walked right into Darien as he stopped to open the car door for her.

"Sorry." She mumbled towards her chest. She didn't really listen when Darien chuckled and told her not to worry about it. Instead she turned to get into the car and stopped dead in her tracks. She stood there in front of the most beautiful car. The red exterior contrasted nicely with the black leather interior and the car looked spotless. The sunlight glinted off the clean lines of the roof and Serena had to look away. She grasped onto the door handle and eased herself into the seat as Darien closed the door for her and walked around to his side of the car.

Serena was quiet on the car ride home and Darien was equally lost in his thoughts, so he didn't break the silence. As she sat trying not to let her thoughts get carried away she started to notice the aches throughout her entire body. Her broken arm hung awkwardly at her side and the skin itched horribly beneath the cast. Her joints were sore and the pounding in her head was driving her to her breaking point. By the time Darien stopped the car in front of a tall apartment building she wasn't sure she would survive the trip up, but she knew she'd have to do her best.

* * *

Darien pulled into the garage for his building and parked the car beside his bike. As he stepped out he glanced at his watch. Nine o'clock, good. With any luck, Rini would still be asleep when they got in; after all they had been up pretty late the previous night. He was hoping to have time to settle Serena in to his place and maybe have a chat with Rini in order to explain the situation to her. As young as she was this was undoubtedly going to be difficult for her but he had complete confidence she'd be able to see the importance of what he was doing for Serena and that she would help him however she could.

Lost in his thought, Darien was part way to the elevator by the time he realized Serena was not by his side. He stopped and turned to see Serena walking slowly towards him. She was clearly exhausted and Darien kicked himself mentally for forgetting how much pain she must have been in. He hadn't taken a moment to stop and ask her how she was feeling but he was certainly seeing his answer now. He was supposed to be providing her with a better life! Well, a fine start he was off to. Five minutes into providing the perfect life and he'd already failed her. To his horror, as he stood berating himself Serena stumbled over a littlerock and, being exhausted and having one arm tied to her body, her face was about to meet the concrete.

_Darien Shields,_ he thought to himself, _you've certainly screwed up this time around._

* * *

Serena tried to keep up but he seemed to be walking so quickly. The elevator didn't seem so far away but she certainly was having a hard time getting there. She tried to push through the pain in her legs and follow the man who had been so kind to her since she woke up but she stumbled and couldn't regain her balance. Suddenly the concrete beneath her feet seemed to be getting way too close for comfort.

A tiny shriek escaped Serena's lips and she shut her eyes against the painful fall she knew was coming but, just when she was sure she was about to break another arm, the falling sensation ended. She was surrounded by something warm and soft and it enveloped her completely. She couldn't remember ever feeling as comfortable as she did in that moment and she opened her eyes to figure out what had happened.

The first thing Serena saw when she opened her eyes was a big, beautiful pair of blues staring back into hers. His dark hair hung delicately into his eyes and the concerned expression on his face only made him all the more irresistible. His arms were wrapped around her body protectively and he'd been forced to go down to one knee in order to reach her before she hit the ground. Serena offered him a small smile to try to set him at ease and then began pushing against his chest to try to lift herself up but the action caused her to flinch in pain and his arms tightened around her. She was too exhausted to protest when he slipped his other arm under her knees and lifted her into his arms. She decided to go with the flow as he carried her towards the elevator gently. Laying her head against his chest she inhaled his sweet scent and sighed with contentment. She was beginning to believe that this man must be her knight in shining armor.

Serena expected him to put her down when they reached the elevator but he merely shifted her weight slightly in his arms so that he was able to push the button. When the elevator doors opened in front of them he walked in, pushed the button for his floor, and then shifted her weight again. He still wasn't putting her down so Serena decided to offer him an out.

"Umm … Mr. Shields?" She began quietly. "I can stand now, if you'd like."

Darien managed to wince only slightly when she referred to him by his surname but still did not put her down. "I wouldn't let a girl like you out of my arms." He answered her with a wink. In return she shot him a smile that could melt any heart and their conversation ended. He didn't even put her down when the elevator stopped on the third floor and a mother and two children entered, shooting him curious glances. He just smiled at each of them and moved toward the back of the elevator so that they had room to also.

Finally they reached Darien's floor and he set Serena down so that he could unlock his door.Despite herself, Serena swayed slightly and leaned against his door frame. She just didn't seem to have the strength to keep herself standing; more than anything she longed for a hot bath to sooth her aches and then a nice long nap. Darien noticed how fatigued she was and decided that as soon as they were inside he would insist she get some rest. If the thought that she should still be in the hospital under doctor supervision ever entered his mind, he pushed it out before it could be considered.

* * *

When Darien opened the door to his apartment, Serena stepped in silently trying to take in everything at once. The room she was in was spotless, on one side a hallway led to what she assumed to be the bedroom and she could just make out the glimmer of an immaculate kitchen through another open doorway. Her face fell … this was supposed to be her home and she couldn't remember it at all.

She walked around the living room slowly looking closely at Darien's collection of books and C.D's on a nearby shelf. She paused when she saw a picture of Darien standing with his arms wrapped around a pretty young girl with blonde hair; her. They looked so happy together she couldn't help but smile. She carried the picture to the couch in the center of the room and collapsed onto it. She was exhausted.

Darien had been watching silently. In his heart, he'd hoped that perhaps the sight of such a familiar setting would lead to some kind of spark of recognition in Serena. He could see from her face that she still couldn't remember and he sighed quietly. Within minutes Serena had succumbed to her fatigue and flopped onto his comfortable couch. Darien walked to the hall closet and brought a blanket down from the top shelf. By the time he was placing it gently onto Serena's bruised body she was already breathing deeply, lost to her dreams. The sunlight poured through his window and fell softly onto her face, enhancing her beauty even more. He was about to step away when something on Serena shimmered in the light, catching his eye.

Darien leaned over Serena carefully, bracing his weight on the back cushion of the couch. He hadn't noticed it before but the sun was shinning off of a glass frame that the sleeping Serena still clutched to her chest. Slowly, gently, he lifted her arm and took the picture from her. He looked down to see which oneit was and his knees began to buckle. He gently set himself down on the end of the couch, next to his slumbering angel.

Tears fell softly onto the glass frame as Darien looked down at the picture in his hands. He remembered when it had been taken.

_Serena had shown up at his door unannounced laden with an enormous picnic basket and demanded that he be blindfolded. Darien had been wary; despite how much he loved her, the fact remained that Serena could hardly be trusted to keep herself from walking into a pole, let alone leading a blind-folded man behind her. In the end a pouting face had won out and he'd allowed her to lead him not only out of his apartment but through the streets of Tokyo with absolutely no idea where they were going. _

_He needn't have worried. Serena took such care and deliberation; it took the pair nearly half an hour to reach the nearby park. Darien felt the ground beneath his feet soften and knew he was walking on grass now but he couldn't pinpoint where exactly he was. He was beginning to get impatient when Serena finally stopped and whipped off the blindfold with a look of triumph on her face. The bright sunlight made Darien wince and shut his eyes but when he was finally able to open them fully the sight that met his eyes took his breath away. _

_He and Serena stood alone on a small hill. The cherry trees behind them were in full blossom and the flower petals fell through the air, littering the ground all around them. Before them, the hill sloped gently into a small pond where a few ducks swam peacefully. Serena smiled at him clearly pleased with her efforts. It was perfect. Darien gathered her up in his arms and hugged her tightly to him. He whispered in her ear how much he loved her and then kissed her blushing cheek. It was on that day the picture had been taken. _

Darien stood the picture frame up on the coffee table so that Serena would see it when she opened her eyes. Suddenly everything closed in on him again. How close he'd come to losing her forever, how foolish he'd been to ever think he could ever live without her, and how big of a mess he'd made for himself now. He ran his hands through his short hair and then clutched at his temples in frustration. He knew he could make Serena happy as long as she was here with him but he'd soon have everyone else to answer to. Her friends would be finding out shortly that she was no longer at the hospital and they were bound to put two and two together. Not to mention the fact that her parents would be home in five days and they would undoubtedly have questions regarding the whereabouts of their only daughter. What was he supposed to tell them?

Sighing, he decided that he would just have to deal with those issues as they arose. He looked down to his watch again, it now read nine thirty. He was lucky Rini was still asleep but he thought it would be prudent to wake her up so he could talk to her before she bounded into the living room and saw the bruised woman sleeping on his couch. Slowly, gently, he got up off the couch being sure he didn't wake Serena as he went.

* * *

It had been a very long night for Ami, Mina, Rei and Lita. All four girls had spent the night at Rei's temple because, quite simply, not one of them wanted to be alone. They were all worried about their best friend and they'd had a very hard time leaving her side.

_When an elderly doctor had come into Serena's room and told the distraught girls that they would have to leave, it was Lita who had become the most upset. _

"_Like hell we're leaving!" she'd screamed at the doctor. "She's our best friend and we're not walking out of here until she's walking with us!"_

_The doctor had tried to stay calm, he tried to be sympathetic as he explained to the girls that the hospital had its policy and that he was required to abide by and enforce that policy, but the girls still refused to budge. In the end the doctor had lost his temper and yelled at the girls almost as ferociously as he'd been addressed by Lita. _

"_You think I like to have to kick you out of here?! I don't have a choice in the matter so just GET OUT!"_

_Lita could remember the look that came over the doctor's face the instant after he'd said those words. The regret and grief in his eyes had been more than plain to see. Ami, Mina and Rei had filed out without a word. Lita stopped only to look into the kind doctor's face before she left and uttered a simple "I'm sorry." As she walked out Lita heard the doctor sigh._

_He hated to see people as young as Serena dieing. _

From the hospital the girls all headed home with Rei without discussion. It was an untold rule that when something went down and the girls needed each other, they could always stay at the temple. As soon as they were there Ami, Lita and Mina all called their parents and let them know they would be spending the night at Rei's. For some reason no one felt like getting into the specifics with their parents, perhaps because they suspected they would be called home if their parents got wind of the severity of the situation.

Throughout the night there was very little sleeping. After discussing the situation at length, the girls even tried transforming so they could contact sailor moon but with no success. She seemed to be beyond their reach. After that each girl was left to her own thoughts and, aside from the occasional curse aimed at Darien for bringing Serena into this mess, the night passed in silence.

Lita had been unable to sleep all night and finally, after hours of tossing and turning, she decided to give up the attempt. She rose out of her bed with the intention of taking a walk to ease her mind but when she got up she noticed that Rei's bed was also empty. She suspected that the priestess was consulting the flame in the temple for some insight regarding Serena's condition and was therefore surprised when she opened the door to step outside and saw Rei sitting on the railing just outside their room.

The sun was just beginning to rise and the early morning sunlight glinted off of the tall buildings of Tokyo. The city stretched out before them in a magnificent display of hues but neither girl could find any peace in the moment. Rei was the first to speak.

"I couldn't get any reading from the fire." She said simply. Lita said nothing. She wasn't entirely sure how the reading of the sacred flame worked but if they'd been unsuccessful at contacting Serena as the Sailor Scouts, she hadn't expected the fire to turn up better results.

After a few minutes Rei continued. "It must be getting late, or is it early?" she added with a chuckle. "We should be back with Serena."

Both girls turned when the door to the bedroom behind them opened and Mina and Ami emerged, fully dressed and ready to head back to the hospital. With a quick thank you and goodbye to Rei's grandpa, all four girls were on their way back to be with their best friend.

The walk to the hospital seemed interminable to each of them. Their feet passed over mile after mile of sidewalk and the scenery never seemed to change. The day was warm and with the sun up properly now the sky was shining a brilliant blue but each of the girls were too worried to pay any attention. Finally they reached the shinning glass doors marking the entrance to the hospital. The lobby was already busy but they walked straight through the people gathered there to the waiting elevator.

In the elevator Lita, who was really beginning to hate all this silence, mentioned to the girls, "Has it occurred to anyone that we should be in school right now?" Mina gave a small chuckle but that was about the only response that the inquiry got. Not even Ami was concerned with school at a time like this. She knew as well as the others that some things were just more important.

The girls stepped off of the elevator and headed straight to Serena's room. Though they all knew what was waiting for them behind that door they couldn't help but hope that Serena had magically healed in the night. None of them wanted to sit there and look at her lifeless body, but neither could they bear to be away. Ami opened the door and all four girls gasped at what they saw.

* * *

Once Darien was sure Serena was resting comfortably he walked silently down the hall and opened the door to his bedroom. He could see Rini, still asleep in his bed. Her pink hair was down and flowed over his soft pillows. Her face was calm and she clutched her Luna ball in her sleep. She reminded him so much of Serena. The two really were alike; perhaps that was why he felt such a strong connection with this sleeping child. Darien loathed to wake her from what seemed to be such a peaceful state, but it was important he talked to her and explained Serena's situation.

Darien walked into the room and sat down on the bed next to the slumbering child. He placed one hand gently on her shoulder and began calling her name softly. Rini woke and turned towards Darien, smiling as she recognized his face, the first words out of her mouth made Darien grin.

"Hi Darien, is Serena alright?"

Darien was glad he was going to be able to provide her with an honest answer.

"She's doing much better," he told Rini cautiously, "but she still has a ways to come."

Rini lay in bed and listened intently while Darien explained to her that Serena had lost her memory and would almost certainly not recognize her when she saw her. Aside from a few gasps, Rini held her tongue until Darien had finished explaining, for which he was extremely grateful. He confided in her his plan to provide Serena with a better life, omitting of course the fact that he would keep her from battling as Sailor Moon. Finally he asked Rini if she would be willing to help him give Serena all the things she wanted and deserved out of life.

Even though they fought constantly, Rini loved Serena very much and was ecstatic that Darien was offering her a way to help the recovery of her friend. She agreed to help Darien in whatever way she could, as he knew she would. He leaned down to hug her but while the two embraced, each taking comfort in the support of the other, someone began pounding on Darien's front door.

Darien rushed out of the bedroom, anxious to get to the door before whoever was beating it so mercilessly woke Serena. Without checking the peephole he swung the door open and stepped out into the hall, closing it carefully behind him. Serena's exhaustion kept her from waking. Darien turned and was unsurprised to find that he was facing four furious teenage sailor scouts.

Rei led the pack and immediately began tearing Darien a new hide.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?!" She started off, and before Darien could get a word off she was roaring again. "You push Serena until she steps in front of a bus and then you kidnap her from the hospital? Just what the hell is wrong with you?"

Darien opened his mouth to speak but couldn't utter a syllable before Rei was at his throat again. "The four of us," she gestured to herself and the girls around her, "are Serena's friends and we love her. I don't know what the hell you're trying to do to her but imagine our surprise when we show up at the hospital and find her room empty! And the doctors wouldn't tell us anything, because _we're_ not her family!"

"Then … you don't know?" Darien finally got out a sentence amidst Rei's tirade and his words stopped her in her tracks. She was forced to acknowledge him.

"Know what?"

"Serena's awake!" Darien told them all. He couldn't help but smile as he delivered the news but the girls were all suspicious. She'd been so badly hurt.

"You don't believe me?" Darien said, "Then come and see for yourselves."

He opened the door behind him carefully and each of the girls stepped into his entranceway. From their position near the front door they could all see Serena sleeping serenely on Darien's black couch. She was still bruised and her cast looked horribly uncomfortable but the girls could see a trace of a smile crossing her face.

Darien rushed them all back into the hallway before they could wake her and closed the door again behind them. Rei turned back to address him again, this time with tears streaming down her face.

"This is a miracle." Her words gave voice to all of the girls' feelings.

"Not quite." Darien replied darkly. "It comes with a catch."

"Catch?"

"She can't remember…" a collective gasp rose just as Darien had expected, "…anything."

None of the people assembled could think of anything to say for a minute and again it was Rei who broke the awkward silence.

"So you bring her here? What were you thinking?"

"Listen to me now and listen well." Darien's voice had hardened as he spoke until he was almost barking out his demand. As he spoke he pulled something from his pocket and thrust it into Rei's hand. She looked down to see Serena's crystal locket and then looked back up at him confused.

"What's happened to Serena … what I've done … well, it's tragic but it's not too late for something good to come of all this. With Serena's memory wiped we have an opportunity to start from scratch and this time around I can make sure things go right. I've already told her we live here, together. Girls, I'm going to be able to give her the life she's always wanted"

An outcry arose from the girls. "Are you insane?" Ami questioned. "You don't think her parents might have a problem with this 'new life' you're planning to provide for their only daughter?"

"And just what do you mean by giving me this?" Rei demanded, referring to the locket still clutched protectively in her hand.

"I gave that to you so you can use it," Darien answered her, "because Serena won't be anymore."

There was another angry outburst from each of the girls, Darien thought he could see the energy rising from them and only hoped they wouldn't transform then and there to do away with him. He plowed on with his explanation.

"Look, Ami's right, I haven't thought this all the way through. I don't know yet how I'm going to explain all this to Serena's parents but I still have a few days to figure it out. I know I screwed up, I am aware that this is all my fault, and girls, I have found a way to make it up to her.

The only way we can be together without Serena getting hurt is if we give up our destinies all together. If her destiny as Princess Serenity is to die for our love then I will do away with it. To hell with that future, we can create our own, for ourselves. I know that each of you will miss Sailor Moon but I have complete confidence that you can use your powers, and that crystal, to protect Tokyo without her.

You're all warriors in your hearts, I've seen you battle and I understand your love of the fight, but Serena was never meant for that life. She was never supposed to battle with the scouts, she's a princess. I know none of you would ever turn your backs on who you are. Your sense of duty and loyalty prevents you from even thinking about quitting. But I also know that deep down in your heart of hearts you've all wished, even if just for a moment, that you could be normal girls again and lead a normal teenager's life.

Serena has the chance to live a life without all the killing and battling we have to face every day. Do any of you have the strength, or the desire, to take that away from her?"

Darien knew his little speech had hit home because each of the girls refused to look him in the eye. They hung their heads as they processed his words. In truth, they understood what Darien was trying to say. It would be unfair of them to force Serena back into the battle.

Slowly, each scout looked up and looked into Darien's cool, blue eyes. Rei nodded her head and slipped the locket into her jacket.

"Look… Serena's asleep now but I promise you I'll call as soon as she wakes up. She may not be leader of the scouts anymore, but I'm betting she could still use her best friends."

The girls all smiled at him with tears in their eyes. With a last look at Darien's front door they turned down the hallway and walked back into the elevator. Darien sighed and walked back into his apartment.

It had been hard to face the sailor scouts, harder than he ever would have imagined. But all he had to do was look at Serena sleeping peacefully on his couch, to know he'd done the right thing.

**A/N: There you go, an extra long chapter to try to make up the short ones recently and the delay! Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed the story and please keep it up! I truly appreciate it. Just so you know, I'm beginning to hate the title I've chosen for this story more and more with each chapter I post so I intend to change it soon. I think the next chapter will be posted under 'A Perfect Life' but I'll still put (Love Remembers) in brackets. Thank again and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this Series**

Chapter 7

Darien wasn't sure what to do with himself now that he'd finished confronting the scouts and Serena was still sleeping comfortably on his couch. His gaze wandered to his kitchen and he saw a sink full of dirty dishes surrounded by a mess of a kitchen. Apparently Rini had fed herself last night and hadn't bothered to clean up. With a sigh he stepped into the kitchen and turned the tap until hot water was pouring into the sink. At least now he had something to occupy his thoughts.

Serena heard a crashing sound coming from the kitchen and slowly opened one eye. She'd been having such a good sleep. The first thing she saw when her eyes opened was the picture Darien had placed in front of her on the table. She smiled when she saw it and closed her eyes once more.

In her mind's eye she could see a grassy hill stretched out before her. A small pond at the bottom was covered in ducks and the air smelled of sweet blossoms. She felt safe and calm. Warm arms were wrapped around her, protecting her from the world if only for a moment. She turned her face to see Darien standing behind her, holding her close. He laughed and pointed at the camera standing on a tripod a few feet in front of them. A red light near the front of the camera blinked once… twice… and then FLASH!

Serena opened her eyes again to see the photo in front of her. What on earth had just happened, what had she seen? But then she realized that the tree behind the couple in the picture looked just like the one she'd seen behind Darien in the vision. Had she remembered taking the picture? She wondered what else they'd done together that day. She tried hard to remember more about the park but the harder she tried to remember, the faster the memory faded from her mind. It was as if she was trying to hold water in her bare hand; it just kept slipping away until she was left with nothing but a happiness that filled her with the knowledge that, however briefly, she had remembered something.

Nevertheless, joy filled her as she took the picture back into her arms and closed her eyes again. Ignoring the banging and clanging noises coming out of the kitchen, she fell back to sleep secure in the knowledge that one day she was bound to remember more of her life with the man she loved.

* * *

Darien managed to finish cleaning the kitchen without waking Serena. When he walked into the living room she was still sleeping peacefully. Her chest rose and fell softly with each breath she took and a hint of a smile remained on her face. Watching her sleeping so soundly made Darien remember how tired he really was. He hadn't really slept since Serena's accident the previous day, not to mention the physical and emotional strain he'd been under in the past 24 hours. He made his was quietly to his bedroom.

When he opened the door to his room he was surprised to find his bed empty. He'd been expecting to find Rini there having fallen back asleep, but only the mess of his sheets and blanket provided any evidence that she'd been there at all. He sat down on the edge of the bed and noticed that the bathroom light was on. Rini must have woken up and headed into the bathroom to get ready for the day. He leaned against the headboard and rested his eyes for a second. He'd speak to Rini again when she was out of the bathroom. In minutes his breathing had steadied and he was fast asleep.

* * *

The second time Serena awoke her broken arm was itching horribly beneath its cast and the other arm stung painfully. She'd slept clutching the picture in its hard glass frame to her body tightly and as a result her arm was now protesting loudly to the prolonged exposure. She'd hoped perhaps she would remember more this second time she woke up but there was nothing.

When the itching of her arm became unbearable, Serena sat up and looked around the apartment for some way to relieve the pain, or at least some thing to distract her from it. The kitchen was spotless and the white tile gleamed above the stove. She assumed this meant Darien had finished his work, but he was nowhere to be seen. She began opening drawers at random, hoping to find something useful. She eyed a fork hopefully but looking down at her cast she finally concluded that it was hopeless.

Well, if she couldn't get rid of the itch the least she could do was get rid of the smell she thought to herself bitterly. She began padding through the hallway until she saw a door slightly ajar at the end of it. She opened it slowly to prevent it from creaking and peeked her head in. Darien sat, fully clothed on top of the blankets and sheets. He was breathing steadily his eyelids fluttered as he dreamt.

Serena snuck past him silently and headed into the bathroom. The light was on but there was no one inside and she closed the door gently, locking it behind her. Looking around she was able to find a closet with clean towels and the soap and shampoos near the tub. She removed her clothes with some difficulty and eased her self very carefully into the tub. She folded one of the clean towels and put it on the side of the tub for her cast to rest on so that it stayed out of the water. When she was confident that she would be comfortable and her cast would remain dry, she turned on the tap and allowed warm water to caress her skin lovingly.

By the time the tub was full Serena was fairly certain she'd slipped into heaven. The warm water soothed her aching bones and, even though she'd been careful to keep her arm away from the water, the itching had completely subsided. She was thrilled to discover that Darien's bathtub was a Jacuzzi and she let the jets massage her tired muscles.

When her fingertips began resembling prunes Serena decided it was time to get out. She pulled the plug and let the bath drain completely before she used the side of the bathtub as leverage to raise herself slowly. The water had felt so good and she was happy to be clean again. She was so relaxed and at peace with herself while she was bathing. It made her wonder whether she'd enjoyed baths this much before her accident. Then she wondered whether she'd changed very much at all. She couldn't remember her life before she woke up in that hospital room so who was she to say what she'd been like. _Wow only five minutes out of the bath and I'm stressed again._

Serena sighed and wiped a section of the mirror with her hand to rid it of the condensation. Her face was still pale but she thought her cheeks had a bit more colour than the last time she'd seen them. And she wasn't as sore anymore, but she really was exhausted. She looked down at the clothes she'd left piled on the floor and her lip subconsciously curled up. She didn't want to get back into those clothes after such a relaxing bath. She wrapped a towel around her body and stepped back into Darien's bedroom.

Darien continued to sleep on his bed but his closet was wide open and when Serena moved towards it she noticed several t-shirts hanging inside. She took one down silently, careful not to wake her sleeping guardian, and went back into the bathroom to change. She emerged with her hair slightly damp and a t-shirt covering her down to her knees. _I'm lucky Darien's so much taller than me_ she thought to herself when she saw her make-shift nightgown.

Serena was tired and longed to climb into the comfortable looking bed before her. She wasn't sure whether or not it would be appropriate but she decided that if they were living together and there was only the one bedroom, they probably slept in the same bed all the time. Sternly keeping herself from overanalyzing when she was already so sleepy, Serena climbed into the bed next to the dark haired man. She stayed on her side, above the covers to keep from touching him or accidentally waking him and she was soon fast asleep.

* * *

When Darien woke he had no idea how long he'd been asleep. He was warm and comfortable and didn't want to open his eyes. His arms were wrapped around a pillow and a sweet aroma enveloped his senses. He began stretching his arms and realized that he was still fully dressed but somehow he'd managed to work his way into the sheets while he slept. Finally he bit the bullet and opened his eyes. The room was filled with afternoon sunlight and the sweet smell he'd noticed upon waking persisted. A moment later he lowered his gaze to the 'pillow' he'd been hugging in his sleep and realized where the scent had come from.

What he had assumed to be a pillow was in fact the sleeping form of Serena lying next to him in his bed. Darien blushed slightly at the intimacy they'd shared without knowing it then mentally kicked himself for being so immature. They'd napped together before after all. Her blond hair was still moist and curled slightly as it air dried. Her skin smelt of his soap and he assumed she'd taken a bath or shower while he slept.

He knew he should try to remover himself from the slumbering girl and let her get her rest but he felt so comfortable there. Serena snuggled into the crook of his arm and he hugged her closer to him. She mumbled in her sleep and rolled over so that she was facing him and he could see her eyelids fluttering slightly. She pushed her face further into his chest and then settled comfortably to continue sleeping. Darien didn't want to wake her and he didn't want to move, so he just settled himself back down and closed his eyes again.

By the time Serena awoke Darien's arm had fallen asleep and was tingling painfully. He refused to disturb her so he just bore the uncomfortable tingling. When she woke she looked up into his eyes and smiled, melting his heart. He drew himself up so that he was sitting with his back against the headboard and she leaned against his chest, hugging him with her good arm.

After several minutes, Serena spoke. Her words were softly spoken but cut into Darien's soul.

"Darien?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't … don't I have ay friends?"

Darien was so surprised by the question he didn't immediately answer, which he discovered to be a mistake when silent tears began coursing down her face and dripping onto his shirt.

"Of course you do." He said, lifting her head so that he look into her eyes. He smiled as he tried to console her.

"Well, then … aren't they worried about me?"

Darien, finally understanding why she'd been so upset, immediately set out to put her mind at ease. He explained to her about the meeting he'd had with her friends earlier that same day. He told her that as soon as they were both dressed he would call them and they could come over to visit tonight for dinner. The news cheered Serena up significantly and she sat up next to Darien.

The both got out of the bed and Darien found Serena some sweats to wear around the house. As soon as they'd gotten dressed and out of bed, he called Ami and asked her whether she and the girls would like to see Serena. She agreed of course and the plans were set.

When Darien hung up the phone he found Serena in his kitchen and smiled. Some things never do change. She was rooting through his cupboards but he had no idea what she could be looking for.

"Something to cook for dinner, silly" she answered when he asked her what she was searching for. Darien laughed and took some chicken out of the fridge to fry.

"I bet Rini would love to help you make dinner." He added as an afterthought.

"Who's Rini?"

Darien could have slapped his forehead. Of course, Serena didn't remember Rini; but then, wait a minute… where was that pink haired pain in Serena's side. She should have made herself known long before now. Worrying slightly Darien began searching the apartment for her. When he couldn't find her anywhere he began to panic.

He raced onto the balcony and searched the street below for her distinctive hair colour. He even called her name out a few times but knew that he didn't stand much chance of the people below hearing him shout, let alone understanding what he was saying. He was beginning to consider doing something drastic, such as transforming so he could search the city for her, when he heard laughter coming from the apartment behind him and the door slamming closed.

He turned and saw Serena and Rini meeting all over again in his living room, his pulse slowed down considerably.

"Rini what on earth are you doing?" Darien tried not to yell at the child as he stepped back into his living room but wasn't entirely successful. "Why did you take off without telling me? I need to know where you are, especially after what's happened to Serena!"

Rini looked slightly ashamed and bowed low to show Darien her respect. "I'm sorry," she finally answered, "both you and Serena were asleep and I went to get this." As she spoke she gestured to the suitcase she'd dragged behind her all the way from Serena's house. Inside were several of Serena's outfits and some personal affects from her bedroom, although Rini had failed to mention specifically where it had come from. Darien also noticed Luna sitting calmly on his couch, not saying a word.

With Darien reassured that Rini was safe, the child turned back to Serena and the two were soon deep in conversation. They seemed to be getting along well and were speaking so fast Darien, sitting on the couch petting the cat, couldn't keep up. When the girls walked into the kitchen still jabbering away he didn't follow. When he was certain they wouldn't hear him over the clanging sounds of dinner preparation, he turned and began talking to Luna.

Rini had tried to explain the situation to Luna as best she could but could only provide her with the child's version of events as she'd been given them. Darien quickly filled in all the gaps. He left out nothing, knowing how worried Luna must have been about her ward and feeling slightly guilty he hadn't thought to contact her sooner. Luna seemed to understand his reasoning for keeping Sailor Moon from Serena. She knew better than anyone what it would mean to the girls to be able to lead normal lives and she knew without being told that that was precisely what Darien was trying to offer.

* * *

It wasn't long before Darien could smell the fruits of the girls' labors wafting to him from the kitchen. Not long after that the doorbell rang and he found four girls eyeing him somewhat warily on his doorstep. He smiled and let them in. They headed straight towards Serena and began bombarding her with questions, making sure she was feeling alright.

Darien watched from the entrance to the kitchen as the girls made awkward introductions. It was beyond strange for them to realize that Serena truly had no memory of all the time they'd spent together but they were confident that they would be able to help her into her knew life. Serena liked all of the girls immensely and delighted in how diverse the group seemed. Over dinner she learned that Lita loved cooking and combat, Ami was a genius, Rei was far too responsible for her own good, and Mina had moved here from England.

All of the girls seemed so interesting and Serena wondered how on earth they came together as friends but when she asked all she got was a series of concerned looks and a hasty reply containing something about school. If it seemed a little suspicious to her, she quickly forgot all about it and decided to enjoy the company of her friends.

* * *

Over the next couple of days Serena settled nicely into her life with Darien and Rini. She went through all of the trinkets Rini had brought her from home and, though she didn't remember any of it she did think all of it was pretty. She smiled broadly when she saw a photo of herself standing with Darien on a grassy hill, the same picture that had prompted her first and only spurt of memory since the accident.

She also found her school books among her things and spent hours and hours reading through them. She was terrified that she would find herself far behind the others in her class whenever she did get back to school and so she read as much as she could. Darien helped her with any problems she couldn't understand and he was both surprised and impressed with her work ethic. It seemed the opposite of what she'd displayed before. She even showed little interest in the mangas Rini had brought over from her house, preferring to spend her time 'catching up'. It worried Darien a little that her personality had changed so much since the accident but he wasn't about to complain that her grades were going to improve because of it.

The household settled into a routine that suited everyone nicely. On Serena's first day in his home Darien had stayed home from school to be with her but that night she insisted that he continued on with his business. She told him she didn't want to be any inconvenience. Darien had laughed at even the insinuation that she could ever be a hindrance to him but she was adamant. Both she and Rini insisted that Serena would be fine without him and in the end he found himself forced out of his door in the morning on his way to college.

When he got home he found his house clean and dinner waiting at the table. That evening he helped Serena work through anything she hadn't understood in her studies during the day and then, after finishing his own homework, watched a movie with the girls. Both of them fell asleep during the show and as he put them to bed he couldn't help but think that he'd succeeded wonderfully in his plan. He'd made a perfect life here with the girls he loved.

**A/N: Sorry for all the POV jumps at the beginning there, hope it wasn't too confusing to follow. I also apologize for the delayed update but what with exams and the holidays I've been kind of busy. I haven't forgotten the story. Thanks so much to all the reviewers and please please please send more they're just so awesome to read. I love hearing your ideas and input. Next chapter should be soon… keep reading! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this series.**

Chapter 8

When Serena woke in Darien's arms after their nap on his bed, she felt so peaceful and blissful that she wasn't entirely sure she'd woken up at all. She looked up to see Darien's face again and realized that his eyes were wide open and he'd been watching her, though she had no way to know how long he'd been doing so. When he realized she'd woken up Darien shifted to a sitting position on his bed and Serena adjusted her position accordingly, relieving the pressure on her injured arm.

As she sat there, snuggling her face into Darien's warm and comforting chest, Serena felt the calm that had filled her only moments ago fading. She felt herself loosing her calm and beginning to feel depressed again. It seemed she wasn't capable of staying cheerful long. This time her worries led her to an entirely new and very painful path. It had been nearly a day since she'd woken up and she couldn't remember exactly how long the doctor had said she'd been asleep before that… and yet, the only person she'd seen aside from her doctors was Darien. It began to occur to her that no family members, friends or even acquaintances had made any attempt to contact her or discover how she was doing after her accident. The realization made her wonder if perhaps she had no friends or family, and, if that were the case, what kind of person could she be to have not made a single friend in her life?

Before she realized it tears were welling in her eyes and she decided she had to know the truth, good or bad, once and for all. Summoning all her courage she looked up at Darien again and asked him the question that had been burning on her mind.

"…don't I have any friends?"

After she asked the question, Darien chuckled and told her that of course she did but, when he saw the tears in Serena's eyes (that surprisingly she had not allowed to fall) and began to understand just how upset she was, she felt him lift her chin gently and look lovingly into her eyes.

At once Darien explained the situation exactly, that in fact her friends had already been to ask about her wellbeing but that she'd been asleep at the time. He told her that he'd already planned to have them over that very evening for dinner and, as relief spread through her, Serena's warm smile ensured him that her fears had been eased.

The slumbering couple got out of the warm bed reluctantly and began wandering into the kitchen. Serena heard Darien's stomach rumble and realized that he was probably starving. It didn't take her long to notice that she was too, so she began opening random drawers and cupboards in search of something to eat. As she went she took a mental note of where everything was located and she was so involved in the task of relearning the kitchen that it took a moment for Darien's voice to cut into her consciousness. When she finally took in that he was asking her a question she answered him with a giggle;

"Something to cook for dinner, silly!"

Chuckling Darien opened the fridge and took out several chicken breasts. Serena smiled and was about to reach for the cupboard with the frying pan when Darien started talking to her again.

"I bet Rini would love to help you make dinner." He said to her.

Serena was crestfallen to think that there was another person in the apartment that she neither remembered nor would recognize.

"Who's Rini?"

The second the words were out of her mouth, Serena realized she'd said something wrong because the colour drained slowly from Darien's face and his expression changed into one of extreme concern. Perhaps 'Rini' was someone she truly should have remembered? Before she had a chance to apologize for her obviously distressing question Darien rushed out of the room and began frantically running about the apartment, all the while calling out that name.

When Darien rushed out on to his balcony and began searching the street outside his apartment Serena sat heavily on his couch and hung her head. They'd been sharing such a nice atmosphere just a moment ago and now she'd managed to ruin it with two words.

Serena was staring off into space miserably when a child with startling pink hair bounded into the room followed closely by an all black cat with a bald spot on its forehead that looked remarkably like a crescent moon. The girl was dragging a large suitcase behind her but before Serena could offer her a hand she'd dropped it unceremoniously on Darien's living room floor and, slamming the door behind her, rushed to Serena and wrapped her arms around her waist tightly.

Darien, hearing the door slam, returned from the balcony and, although Serena could see relief stamped on every inch of his face, she could also see that he was quite angry with the child that was now super-glued to her mid-section. He made an effort not to yell but was not very successful as he berated the child for making him worry unnecessarily and as he did realization dawned on Serena; this pink haired child now bowing deeply must be Rini.

The air left her lungs when the thought occurred to her that perhaps this was Darien's daughter. That would explain why he'd been so worried about her when he realized she wasn't safe at home. But then, if she was Darien's child and she and Darien were in love … perhaps it was her child as well? The possibility hit her like a blow to the stomach and, while she was still reeling from it, Rini turned to her and began hugging her again.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" She exclaimed. "Umm … I'm Rini, your cousin."

Relief swept through Serena when she discovered that she had not in fact forgotten about the existence of her own child, but before she could take any time to let things sink in Rini was talking again. She spoke very quickly.

"I brought you this from … err… my house!" Her face had fallen slightly as she spoke, gesturing towards the suitcase lying on the floor, but she finished the thought with a smile that Serena couldn't help but mirror. The child was so full of energy, it was almost contagious.

"Aren't you hungry?" Rini continued without pause, and before Serena could answer she was off again. "I'm starving; you should make some of that super yummy curry chicken you made for us that one time remember?"

Serena frowned slightly and said, "I'm sorry sweetie, I can't remember," feeling thoroughly depressed once again but the child was unperturbed and began pulling on her arm.

"That's okay I'll help you! It's super yummy, you made it for me once because I had a school event and your mom, she looks after me while I'm visiting you guys, she couldn't make it so…"

Within minutes Serena found herself laughing and cooking up a storm with the bubblegum-pink haired little girl. She couldn't believe how easy it was to laugh around her and instantly took a liking to her. They were raising such a clatter in the kitchen that she didn't hear a group of girls enter through the front door, led by Darien.

Wiping her hands as she put the chicken into the oven to bake for a few minutes, Serena walked back into the living room to see Darien and was surprised to find him accompanied by four other girls. Their appearances varied greatly between them but each was wearing an unmistakable smile and look of relief to Serena alive and well.

"Umm … hello." Serena began uncertainly, but before she had any more chance to feel awkward all four girls rushed towards her and embraced her in an enormous group hug. Tears flowed from each girl's eyes and Serena was very sorry she couldn't console any of them; she couldn't even remember their names. She hoped Darien had mentioned this to them, she just couldn't bear to add to the pain that seemed to be registering on their faces as they stepped back to get a proper look at her.

After a brief pause, a tall girl with flowing black hair stepped forward and held out her hand. "I'm Rei." She offered. Serena shook her hand and repeated the name under her breath.

A shorter girl with short, blue hair stepped forward next and introduced herself as Ami. She was followed by a blonde named Mina and a brunette named Lita who almost broke her hand in the act of shaking it.

Serena was slightly taken aback to realize that she couldn't remember anything about the people who were obviously her best friends but she tried not to show her discomfort and graciously asked them to join them for dinner. The girls helped Serena and Rini, whom Serena noticed they were also familiar with, to set the table and by the time they were done the dinner was ready to come out of the oven and Serena served them all.

As they ate the girls spoke more than they chewed, trying to fill Serena in on every aspect of her life that she might be missing. It was interesting to hear all about herself, but it was the girls' mannerisms that truly fascinated Serena. As she watched and listened to them she found that she could discern more of their personalities from the way they spoke than from what they were saying.

By the time they'd finished dinner and Serena was scooping out ice cream for dessert, she'd determined that, although Lita seemed to be the bluntest and most upfront of the girls, it was actually Rei who had the fieriest disposition. She decided that Lita was a very strong person; but that her roots ran deep within her friendships with the other girls and she valued them very much. By the end of dessert she thought she had the other two girls figured out as well. Ami's quiet and shy demeanor was in fact a front, Serena was sure of it. She could see an icy interior to this blue-haired girl and was sure that, as sweet as she usually chose to be, she would certainly never want to see her angry. Ultimately Mina was the easiest to figure out. She was simply an eternal flirt!

Serena thoroughly enjoyed herself during dinner and was glad she'd figured out who her friends were but the fact that they were so diverse really made her wonder. The girls didn't seem to have anything in common! How on earth could they have become such close friends? When she asked the other girls how they'd met she thought she noticed an uneasy look on each of their faces before they mentioned something about meeting through school.

Another thing that didn't seem to sit well with Serena was how coldly all four of the girls treated her Darien. None of them seemed particularly happy to be around him and seemed unwilling to accept when he offered them tea after dessert. They only accepted after a hurried look at Serena, followed by one to each other.

By the time the girls left Serena found herself more confused than relaxed, but all the same she put on a happy face as she helped Darien wash up the dishes and clean the kitchen. She laughed at his jokes and chatted with Rini and found that as long as she didn't think too hard about her forgotten past, she really could enjoy this new life she'd been given.

* * *

As much as he'd wanted to stay and look after her, Serena insisted that Darien go to school the next morning. She was concerned that he would fall behind in his classes and besides, as she'd pointed out to him before he left the house reluctantly, she was feeling perfectly fine.

As soon as she'd gotten Darien out of the apartment, Serena turned on Rini. It took considerably more convincing, but finally Rini agreed to go to class only on the condition that Serena walked her there and picked her up. Laughing, Serena agreed and the two headed out into the city.

Along the way Rini delighted in pointing out all the spots Serena had frequented before her accident. She pointed out the park that Serena suspected to be the setting of her favorite photo; she showed her the entrance to an arcade and suggested she go in to meet another of her friends who worked there. By the time they reached Rini's classroom Serena was feeling only slightly overwhelmed and eager to continue exploring the city.

Making sure to mark the location of Rini's school in her mind so that she would be able to find it again, Serena set off to see what she could see. She stopped at the grocery store to buy something for dinner and even took a stroll through the park, stopping to gaze at all the cherry trees and the beautiful lake at the bottom of the hill. When she headed back home, she noticed the arcade again on the way and stopped outside the front doors.

Unsure of whether or not to go inside, Serena stood looking into the building until a blonde-haired young man, only slightly shorter than Darien came outside and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

Serena was so surprised by the man's actions that she pushed him away without thinking, pushing herself to the ground in the process. Her weight fell largely on her injured arm and let out a cry of pain. The blonde in front of her shouted her name and then gently pulled her to her feet, apologizing profusely. He led her inside and disappeared for a moment, returning with a chocolate milkshake and putting it on the counter in front of Serena.

"I'm sorry." Serena started before he could say a word. "I didn't mean to overreact like that, I was just … surprised."

"No it was my fault," the boy answered, "I'm sorry Serena I wasn't thinking. I was just so glad to see that you're alright! Or… at least mostly alright."

He introduced himself as Andrew and sat to chat with Serena. She asked him what she'd been like before and after a slight hesitation he'd answered, 'spirited' with a smile. Serena's eyebrows contracted at his response and once again she wondered what on earth her life had been like before she'd been hit by that car.

Serena enjoyed talking with Andrew so much that she was very surprised when she saw a clock on the wall indicating it was nearly time to pick Rini up from school. She left her untouched milkshake on the counter, thanking Andrew for such a fun afternoon, and went to get Rini.

* * *

When Darien got home from a hard day at school he was thrilled to find the two girls he loved most laughing as they set the table. The smells emanating from his kitchen made his stomach grumble audibly and within minutes the girls had him sitting at a table covered with delicious food. After a fabulous dinner, the girls cleaned up while Darien sat in the living room and then they fell asleep watching a movie.

Darien woke the next morning only slightly later than he would have liked, but he couldn't manage to feel panicked at all. He smiled when he saw Serena's sleeping form snuggled against his chest and Rini's tiny body curled up on the end of his couch with the blanket.

Serena woke at almost the same time he did and quickly started flitting about the house, throwing something together for him to take in a box lunch. Darien tried to tell her that she didn't have to worry about it, that he could simply buy something in the cafeteria for lunch but she would hear nothing of it. In the time it took Darien to wake Rini and for both of them to get dressed, Serena had packed two box lunches for them and soon they were both out the door on their way to school.

Once she'd gotten everyone out of the apartment, Serena took a minute to relax and looked around the house. After cleaning up the kitchen she realized that she really had nothing to do for the rest of the day! Wandering around wasn't going to be able to fill too much time and for some reason the cat was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes fell on the books Rini had brought for her and she sat down to start reading.

Serena found the readings incredibly dull and hard to understand but nevertheless she knew it was important for her to get through them. She spent hours pondering quadratic equations and what felt like an eternity trying to figure out the difference between the English words 'there', 'they're' and 'their'. She finally concluded that the language was purposefully composed of nonsense in order to ensure no outsiders could figure it out.

When Darien came home it was to find Serena sleeping over an open textbook. Smiling he knelt down and picked her up gently. He carried her carefully into his bedroom and placed her on his bed so that she could rest.

* * *

Six roses stand in a clear vase. The hallway is dark as Serena closes the door gently behind her. Darien is standing against the wall a few feet away but he doesn't look at Serena as she walks in.

"What do you want?"

Serena valiantly tries to apologize to Darien but she's cut off again.

"… I just don't have the same feelings for you any more."

"But Darien, I-I promise I'll study harder at school, really. Okay?"

Her eyes are glistening and his remain closed as he begins to lose his temper.

"Don't make me say it again. Our relationship is over!"

She tries to get him to understand that they were meant to be together but he refuses to listen, pounding his fist against the wall he yells;

"I don't want to hear anymore! Why should my whole life be guided by what happened to us in the past? I …"

He breaks off when he looks up to see that she's about to cry. She can't believe what she's hearing and it's breaking her heart. Before she knows what's happening she's closing the door behind her and trying not to fall apart in Darien's hallway.

_She saw him walking towards her and rushed into the street… Horns blared and tires screeched on the pavement._

Serena woke with her face stained with tears. Darien didn't want to be with her. She remembered it now. He didn't want to be anywhere near her. And Rini, Rini had somehow taken her place in his heart. Why would he have done this to her, lied to her?

Suddenly it all made sense. Her friends knew it was a lie. That's why they were so uncomfortable around her. She didn't even know for sure whether they were truly her friends. Why would they have allowed him to lie to her if they were? She had no one. There was nothing. All she knew was that Darien did not want to be with her. He'd been painfully clear on that point, but she couldn't remember anything else. Why would he do this to her?

Darien was sitting on the couch watching television quietly when he saw Serena walking down the hall towards him. He quickly muted the TV and walked towards her but it was only when she held up her hand to stop him that he noticed the tears running silently down her cheeks. Her body was shaking visibly with her sobs.

"Why would you do this to me?" She asked him in a voice so full of pain Darien actually staggered slightly. "Why did you lie?"

"Serena, what…?" She cut him off with so much anger in her voice Darien couldn't speak.

"I remember Darien. I remember that you wanted nothing to do with me! That you 'just don't have the same feelings for me anymore!'"

Darien's eyes grew wide as he heard his own words thrown back at him. She remembered? But why on earth did she only remember that conversation?

"What was all this Darien, some kind of game? Were you patronizing me because I couldn't remember?"

This couldn't be happening. Everything was spiraling out of control. Again! He had to set the record straight now, as he'd meant to before Serena's accident.

"No Serena–"

"Save it Darien. You don't need to dump me again. I seem to remember the words you so eloquently chose were 'our relationship is over'!"

And before he could say another word Darien saw Serena's furiously shaking body storm across the room and out his front door, slamming it forcefully behind her.

**A/N: Oh I am so sorry! What with the holidays winding up and school getting going again (Yuk!) I didn't realize it had been so long between posts. And then I go and give you a chapter that's mostly a review of the last chapter. To explain that, I really wanted to give a deeper insight into Serena's point of view while some of this was going on. Again I apologize for the delayed update but I hope you will review this chapter because I just love reading them so much. I shall try my hardest to get the next chapter out sooner but with quizzes and assignments in full swing again I can't make any promises. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you're enjoy the story!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I neither own nor profit from anything related to this series.**

Chapter 9

Serena stood fuming in the hallway in front of Darien's door for a moment. When she heard a noise coming from the room behind her she took off running down the hall until she reached the stairwell. She nearly knocked over a woman taking her dog out as she went but she knew she needed to reach the stairs before Darien could corner her and force her to listen to more of his lies.

When she reached the stairwell her emotions overwhelmed her and she collapsed on the landing. The tears pouring down her face fell into her lap, drenching her skirt. She tried to keep quiet but couldn't stop a few sobs from escaping her lips. What was she supposed to do now that the only person she could remember in her life was a fake?

But wait, Darien wasn't the only person she knew of in the city. Yes, she also knew Rini but in her dream she'd felt such … animosity towards the little girl. What could Rini have possibly done to make her feel that way about such a sweet child in her past? She couldn't call on Rini, and her friends had seemed concerned for her but she didn't know how to contact any of them. She racked her brain trying to figure out where she could go when suddenly it hit her; the arcade!

The man that worked there, (what had his name been again?) he'd been so relieved to see Serena surely she could trust him… even if she couldn't quite remember his name. With a plan finally in sight Serena put an end to her sobs and headed down the stairwell. When she reached the first level she was careful to keep out of sight, incase Darien was looking for her, and headed out into the street.

* * *

It wasn't for a few moments after he heard the door slam that the truth of the situation sunk in with Darien. Because of his lies, Serena had stormed out of his apartment into a city that she was completely unfamiliar with. He shuddered to think what could happen to her if she ran into trouble and had no one to turn to. He reached into his pocket and felt the cold, steady metal of Sailor Moon's locket. Perhaps he'd been wrong to withhold the truth … but he couldn't afford to think that way now. How many minutes had he already wasted kneeling here on the carpet in his living room?

Darien heard a soft 'ding' and saw the elevator doors coming to a close just as he raced out of his apartment. He rushed to the center of the hallway and pounded the down button. He had to catch up to her. He turned his head and eyed the entrance to the stairwell, perhaps it would be faster to take the –

As the thought occurred to him the second elevator arrived and announced its presence with a second ding. Deciding it would be faster; Darien rushed inside the elevator and hit the button to take him to the ground floor. When he reached the lobby he pushed past a couple waiting to get onto the elevator, ignoring their protests completely. He searched the lobby frantically before rushing out of the main entrance and looking anxiously in the street. He couldn't see any sign of Serena; no matter which way he turned she was no where in sight. His hands came to his temples as he wondered where she could possible have gone. He pulled at his hair and stared around desperately before he decided to get on his bike and search the city for her. She couldn't have gotten far.

Minutes later the tires of Darien's motorcycle screeched audibly as he sped out of the parking lot below his apartment building. Narrowly avoiding several pedestrians he raced down the street before he remembered that there was no where for him to go with haste, and that he needed to slow down and start looking… a smooth head; that's what he needed right now.

As he was gazing curiously at a gaggle of teenagers dressed in school uniforms similar to Serena's his cell phone began vibrating in his pocket. He pulled over and took the phone out of his pocket, flipping it open as he did. In the back of his mind he hoped to hear Serena's voice on the other line, wondering whether he'd ever given her the number. He was disappointed when, instead of Serena, Andrew's voice greeted him through the phone.

"What? … She's there with you right now? … I'll be right there … Don't let her leave!"

The conversation was over within seconds and Darien peeled out, racing towards the arcade to find Serena and explain his mistakes.

* * *

Serena managed to make it to the arcade with only a few wrong turns slowing her down. She was not at all helped by the fact that tears had resumed streaming down her face. The sun was also beginning to set and shone painfully in her eyes, gleaming off of the nearby buildings.

As she approached the arcade the horrible thought occurred to her that perhaps the blonde who'd helped her the other day wouldn't be there. He may have already finished his shift or not worked at all that day. What was she supposed to do if she couldn't find him?

She opened the door and heard a familiar tinkling of bells as she did. When she opened the door and failed to see the blonde haired friend she'd been looking for the speed of her tears increased and they began to spill into her shirt. Not knowing what to do next, but feeling very tired from the exertions of the day she sat down in the nearest stool on the counter and let her forehead rest on the cool countertop.

It wasn't until she felt a hand gently touching her shoulder that Serena lifted her head from the pool of tears forming around her. She jumped when she opened her eyes to see the concerned face of her blonde-haired friend just inches from her own. She jumped and nearly fell off her stool but he reached out and took hold of her arm to prevent her falling onto the floor. When her breathing slowed she found his name instantly return to her memory.

"Oh Andrew," she breathed a sigh of relief, "thank god you're here!"

"Serena? What the hell happened to you?"

"Darien … he… it's …" Serena tried to tell Andrew what had happened but she couldn't seem to get the words out. The tears had finally stopped flowing but something blocked her throat and prevented her from speaking.

Andrew couldn't think of what to say or do so he jumped behind the counter and mixed her up her favorite chocolate milkshake with extra whipped cream. She thanked him when he set it down in front of her and then looked up at him apologetically.

"I haven't got any –"

But Andrew cut her off before she could think about her inability to pay and told her it was on the house. He asked her whether she'd be okay on her own for a minute as he went to check something in the back and she told him to go, insisting that she was feeling much better. He rushed to the backroom and picked up the phone.

When Darien picked up Andrew found it hard to contain his anger at seeing one of the people he cared about in so much pain.

"What the hell did you do?" He started off without as much as a hello. "… Don't 'what' me? Care to tell me why there's a blonde crying her heart out on my counter right now?! … Ya she's here but what's going on? … I don't know if she wants to see you right … Alright Darien, she'll be here."

Serena only heard the last few words as she stepped into the room but it was enough to turn her bleeding heart to ice. She'd thought she could trust him but clearly she didn't know him at all! The first thing he'd done was go to Darien behind her back! She turned to walk out of the room but before she could Andrew turned around and saw the anguished look on her face.

"Serena …"

She didn't wait for him to explain. She couldn't stand to hear any more lies. It all made sense now; he was friends with Darien, not her! She'd been such a fool to trust him. Now she didn't have anyone. She was all alone in the world.

She hadn't been thinking when she rushed out of the arcade and now she found herself on the side of a street she didn't recognize, surrounded by people she didn't know, and to top it off the sun had set and the city was becoming alive with blazing lights. Great, now she was all alone and lost in a city of millions!

She wandered around aimlessly for a while, trying not to think about the fact that she had nowhere to sleep that night and it was bound to start getting colder now that the sun was down. Her tired muscles shivered slightly and she wished she'd thought to grab a sweater from Darien's before she stormed out. Ugh, Darien. She didn't need to be thinking about him again.

She noticed a park across the street and walked towards it. She found a bench and gratefully sat, looking over a creek as it twisted and gurgled below her, reflecting the light of the crescent moon. She looked up at the moon and sighed heavily, trying to relax for a few moments before she figured out what she was going to do.

Minutes passed as Serena sat silently on the bench gazing up at the moon. The park was nearly empty this time of night and instead of being frightened, Serena found herself calming down as she gazed skyward. Very few stars could be seen through the clouds but the moon made her think of a smile in the sky and somehow she found her spirit lifting out of its depression. She was so relaxed she failed to notice when someone sat on the other end of the bench she was on and was therefore quite surprised when he leaned over slightly to speak at her.

"Nice night tonight."

Serena jumped at the sound of his voice breaking the silence so close to her and struggled to regain some composure. "Umm … yes," she stuttered. "It's lovely."

"My name's Keith," the man offered as he reached a hand out for Serena to shake. She went to shake it but realized the hand she needed to offer was being restricted by her cast. She laughed lightly and offered her other hand. She thought he would shake it awkwardly but instead he dipped his head and brushed the back of her hand with a light kiss. She bowed her head slightly to show some respect.

Keith started telling her a story about the moonlight and a cat but she wasn't paying any attention to his words. When she looked up into his face she found herself speechless, he was gorgeous! Though he was sitting, Serena could see that he would be tall when he stood. A few inches taller than her perhaps, with wide shoulders that accented a tapered waist and muscular physique. His face was round and his lips were full, but it was his eyes that captured her attention. Bright green irises reflected the moonlight and seemed to see right into Serena's soul. His shoulder length blonde hair was tied back tastefully but a single strand had escaped the bind and fell gently onto his face. The shadow it cast only enhanced his features. By the time she realized she should tune back into what he was saying to her (in a deep, somehow soothing voice) she realized that he'd been looking at her expectantly for several seconds.

"Oh … sorry. What was that?" She was forced to stammer as she blushed lightly.

"I asked what happened to your arm." Keith repeated.

"Oh that. I was in an accident, a car accident."

"I'm sorry to hear that" he replied and Serena was worried that he would question her further but he fell silent after that. She shivered lightly and he turned to face her.

"You must be freezing." He asserted and before she could protest he'd slid across the bench towards her and draped his jacket over her shoulders. She expected him to return to his side of the bench so they could continue their conversation but the only move he made was to drape his arm over her shoulders above his jacket. Their thighs were touching and Serena, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the prolonged exposure to a complete stranger, wanted to move further away but found the arm of the bench pushing against her other leg. There was nowhere for her to go.

"You're very beautiful."

Keith's face was so close that she could feel his hot breath on her neck as he whispered into her ear. His breath was wet and smelled strongly of alcohol. Serena began berating herself for being so stupid, for wandering alone into a deserted park at night, for talking to strangers… I mean come on, three year olds know not to speak to strangers.

When Keith placed his hand on Serena's thigh she jumped and made to stand up but he increased the pressure on her shoulders until she couldn't move. His hand dug into her shoulder painfully, aggravating the already injured arm. When his hand started traveling upward Serena put her free hand on his chest and pushed with all her might. He barely moved. Instead he laughed at her and leaned his face closer to hers.

At this distance he didn't look nearly as attractive as she'd thought earlier. Large pits in his face marred his complexion and the eyes she'd thought were so divine were now filled with a ravenous lust that terrified her. He'd transformed in minutes from her rescuer to some kind of dangerous beast.

"Just one little kiss." He mumbled drunkenly.

Fear consumed Serena when he leaned towards her again but she pushed it aside. By the time his vile lips brushed against hers she'd gathered up both her feet in front of her and when she saw her chance (as he closed his eyes and placed his other hand on her stomach) she lashed out against him with every muscle in her body. Her back arched painfully against the arm-rest and the man beside her lost his balance and fell forward. The leverage forced her over the side of the bench and she landed painfully on her head but she didn't let it slow her down. Before Keith realized what was going on she was off and running like a bullet.

She ran without looking behind her and kept running until her legs ached and her chest felt as though it would burst. She ran between trees, off the beaten path and, just for good measure, even crossed the creek at the bottom of the hill before running up the other side, her shoes now sopping wet. When she couldn't possibly run any longer she let her knees buckle and sat on the grass. The moon still shone above her.

She knew now, there was no way she could survive this without Darien. She was all alone, with no money, and apparently this city was crawling with creeps. She needed Darien to protect her from the world. And it made her feel like shit. If only she had someone else to go to, but there was no way to contact any of them.

As she was sitting on the moist grass sulking, a bush nearby shook and Serena tensed her muscles once again. Whatever she'd been expecting it wasn't to see Darien step out from the plant beside her and drop down onto his knees to face her at eye level. It was Darien kneeling before her but… he looked so strange. He was dressed in an elaborate blue suit and his hair seemed lighter than she remembered, almost blue. And perhaps it was the effect of the moonlight but somehow he looked less than solid.

"Serenity! Thank god I've found you at last!"

Serena was so confused. Who was Serenity and why did Darien look so different, it had only been a few hours from when she'd last seen him.

"I don't have much time my love, when Pluto discovers what I'm doing she'll break the link."

It vaguely registered in her mind that Darien must have gone insane. He wasn't making any sense, she thought he'd mentioned Pluto in there somewhere but what she was sure of was the fact that he'd called her 'his love'. Where exactly he got off calling her that after all he'd done she didn't know, but she intended to find out. She opened her mouth to speak but he didn't let her get in a single word.

"Please listen to me Serenity. This is all my fault. I don't know what's happened but everything's changed. I can't find Rini anywhere and it's all my fault! My queen, please, you must find Darien. Talk to him. I sent the dreams but I never imagined … you must go talk to him or–"

Serena's head was spinning and she stopped Darien's ramblings before he could confuse her any more. "What are you saying?" she demanded. "Who is this Serenity and what are you talking about Darien? I'm talking to you now!"

"You are Serenity… or you will be. Please you must find the Darien of your time and …Shit she's found me. Find him …Serena please!"

And before her eyes he shimmered disappeared… just ceased to be right in front of her.

Serena fell backwards in a dead faint.

* * *

Darien raced through several red lights on his way to the arcade and jumped off his bike after parking it illegally in front of the doors. When he got inside he saw Andrew standing behind the counter but couldn't see Serena anywhere. He stepped forward, still searching everywhere for her familiar face.

"She's gone." Andrew stated simply, misery lacing his voice.

A flame of anger ignited within Darien. He'd been so sure that she would be safe, if only he could take her in his arms again and tell her everything, make her understand that he was sorry, then she would be alright.

"You let her GO!?"

"Well 'let' wouldn't really be the word I'd use for it!" Andrew yelled back just as heatedly. He too was worried about their friend. "And while we're at it, what the hell have you done to her!?"

Darien couldn't take this, not right now. He knew he'd screwed up but hearing his best friend screaming these accusations at him was not going to help him find Serena or fix his mistakes. His hands had balled into fists without him noticing and he found it quite hard to restrain from punching the man standing in front of him. Instead he turned without another word and left.

As he was sitting on his bike, preparing to resume his search, his cell phone rang once again from within his pocket. He picked it up and heard Ami's voice on the other line. She was trying to say something to him but he cut her off immediately.

"Is Serena with you?"

That got Ami's attention and she paused for a moment. Silence greeted Darien from the other end of the line. "She's not with you?" When she finally did respond Darien could practically hear the restraint in her voice.

"Obviously not!" He shouted before he could help himself. "Look … she remembered the breakup … but I think that's all she can remember and she stormed out of my apartment. Ami she's all alone and I can't find her anywhere. I don't know what to do."

The anger in Ami's voice was clear, even over the phone. She didn't yell but the tone she chose carried the same effect. "Well then you've got more problems than one." She said icily.

"What do you mean?"

"I just got a call. Serena's parents are home."

**A/N: I know it's late and I'm very sorry but life seems to have gotten in the way lately (not to mention Spanish homework EVERY DAY) but anyways… I'm sorry it took so long to update and I will try to get the next chapter up sooner! Please please review it makes me want to write so much quicker and I'd love to break 100 with this story (something I've never done before). Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I neither own nor profit from anything related to this series. **

Chapter 10

Darien sat idling on the road while he tried to let this new information settle in. A steady tone was the first thing to inform him that Ami must have hung up. Her words had been laced with poorly disguised hatred of him but he couldn't let that fog his judgment right now. Serena's parents were home. Shit. Now what was he supposed to do?

The thought of telling Serena's mother that they'd been living together for the past few days, and seeing each other for weeks before that, was more than he thought he could handle at this point in time. Let alone what her father would probably do to him when he found out.

But what was the alternative? He needed to find Serena and explain the whole situation to her. He had to tell her the truth, the whole truth, so that she would be able to understand why he'd done what he'd done. Then perhaps she would be able to smooth things over with her parents and things could go back to the way they were before … before what? Before Serena had been hit by that car? Before he'd broken her heart because of some stupid nightmare? Before Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask and Serena Tsukino had come into his life at all?

That thought stopped him for a moment. He contemplated whether he truly meant it, whether he missed his life before he'd gotten caught up in the heroics of the moon kingdom. True he'd been able to sleep much more often. His grades had been better and his life had surely been simpler. Did he really wish he'd never met Serena?

No. The answer was in his mind almost before the question. No matter what else he'd been before Serena touched his life, he had been alone. The friendship and family she'd shown him since the first day he laid eyes on her was more valuable to him than anything. She was worth more to him than … well anything.

There was no way he could deny it. He needed her. He would never be able to survive without her and, no matter how hard he tried to protect her from it; Sailor Moon was a part of Serena. Her strength and sense of duty in the face of unbelievable odds were what made Serena the woman he loved. The woman he would continue to love for the rest of his life. Now he just needed to find her and tell her everything.

Darien didn't realize how long he'd been sitting on his motorcycle on the side of a busy street until his cell phone, which he was still clutching in his hand, began to beep and vibrate once again. He answered it sharply but immediately changed his tone of voice.

"Mrs – Mrs Tsukino…Yes my name is Darien Shields… Umm yes she is, I've been trying to … well there's umm – if I could just … alright I'll be right there … yes, and you as well."

Great, now he was really in trouble. He started his bike up once again and raced down the street towards Serena's house as fast as he could go.

* * *

It had been a long trip and Irene Tsukino would be glad to finally get home. She'd enjoyed herself immensely while she was away and she was glad that she'd decided to accompany her husband and son on their trip, but she'd been unable to keep herself from worrying the entire time. She'd questioned whether it was wise to leave Serena and Rini to look after one another for the week and was looking forward to getting home and confirming that all was well… or at least that they hadn't strangled one another in the night.

After a short drive from the airport Ken Tsukino finally pulled the car into the driveway in front of their home. Irene wasn't sure what she'd been expecting but she sighed with relief when she opened the door and found the house in pristine condition. Clearly Serena had been more mature than she'd expected. It looked as if she'd even cleaned up.

Putting down her bags in the entrance-way she began calling out for her niece and daughter. She was only slightly concerned when both failed to answer her calls.

"Serena?" She yelled, as she moved toward the staircase. "Are you up there?"

When she still did not receive a reply she walked quickly up the stairs and opened the door to her daughter's bedroom. The room was unusually neat. Irene began to get suspicious. Still calling Serena's name she moved towards the bathroom but couldn't find her anywhere and so went back to her bedroom to take a look around. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

It was while she was looking at the daughter's vanity that it occurred to her. Where were Serena's clothes? The piles of laundry that usually littered her bedroom floor had vanished. Wondering whether it was possible that Serena had turned a new leaf and had actually done all her laundry, Irene walked over to the dresser and opened the first drawer she reached. Empty.

Irene found this extremely strange, almost alarming. She opened another drawer and found that it too was empty. Now she was beginning to panic. She rushed to closet and flung open the doors. While there were still clothes hanging there, it was plain to see that many had been sloppily removed. Wire hangers littered the closet floor. Where was her daughter?

"Ken?" She hollered as she raced back down the stairs. She tried to keep the panic from her voice but realized she had failed when her husband met her at the foot of the stairs, concern lacing his features. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Did … uhhh … did Serena leave a note or anything about where she was?"

"No" he answered, looking around him as if hoping to notice one now that his wife had mentioned it. "And I can't find her or Rini anywhere."

"That's not like them at all." Irene pointed out before a scornful look from the man in front of her forced her to continue. "Well, I suppose they do both have a habit of disappearing … but without a note or anything?"

"Oh come on." Sammy's voice drifted in from the kitchen where he was preparing himself a snack, supremely unconcerned by the absence of his sister. "They probably went out, they'll be back."

While she hoped her son was right, Irene chose to err on the side of caution. She picked up the phone and the phone-book in which she'd forced Serena to write the names and numbers of her closest friends in case of emergency. The first name on the list was Ami and so she dialed her number, trying not to worry about Serena.

The conversation she'd held with Ami was short and did little to alleviate Irene's concern. While the girl had been very respectful, she couldn't help but get the impression that she was keeping something from her. All the same she dialed the number Ami had given her. Apparently her best chance of finding Serena was by talking with someone named Darien Shields. The name rang a bell and Irene wondered whether that was the name of the handsome young man Serena had once introduced them to outside the house shortly before they'd gone away. While she smiled at the thought of her somewhat clumsy daughter finding a companion in such a well-bred young man, she hoped that this wasn't the case for Serena's sake. Her father would undoubtedly not take the news well.

After several rings the young man finally picked up and Irene recognized from his voice that he was in fact the same man she'd been introduced to. He seemed quite nervous on the phone and began by stuttering out her name.

" … Yes this is Mrs. Tsukino, well Serena's mother; this is Darien Shields is it not? … I've been told Serena may be with you? … Do you know where she is? … Please Darien, we'd appreciate if you could bring her home we're quite worried about her… Thank you, we'll see you in a moment."

In a surprisingly short amount of time a loud knock was heard on the front door and Ken rushed forward to admit a tall, black-haired, handsome young man into their living room. He stood nervously until Irene offered him a seat and he sat on the edge of a chair. His back was straight as a board and his knuckles were turning white as he clutched the fabric of his pants near his knees.

Irene could see that something was clearly very wrong with this young man but her husband seemed to have failed to notice anything. Ken offered the young man a cup of coffee, which Darien declined, and then poured himself one before standing behind his wife and placing a hand on her shoulder affectionately. Irene was the first to speak.

"So where is Serena?" she asked him kindly, still trying to get him to relax in their home. "We actually expected her to be with you when you came."

Darien looked into her eyes and then up into the eyes of Serena's father. He knew there was no other way to do this so he decided to just start talking.

"Well, sir, ma'am…" Alright quit stalling, he could do this… "Serena and I have been seeing each other for some time now. It's been a number of … of weeks…"

He kept his eyes on Serena's father as he spoke. The man's grip on his coffee cup was tightening and his lips were pursed though he didn't interrupt.

"…I respect your daughter very much and I care for her very deeply. But, a few days ago there was a car accident…"

Serena's mother gasped and the knuckles on her father's hand whitened. Darien thought he could hear his teeth grinding under a clenched jaw, but that could have been his imagination.

"Is she…?" Irene couldn't finish the question.

"She's alright… mostly. I took her back to my apartment, I have my own apartment not too far from here, when she was released… to look after her."

A cracking sound was heard from beneath Ken's vice-like grip on his coffee cup but he still said nothing. Irene seemed unable to form words.

"But, we sort of got into a fight earlier and, well Serena stormed out. I … I can't find her. It's late and I'm very worried about –"

A crashing sound shocked Darien as the cup Serena's father had been holding smashed against the wall behind his head. Apparently Ken Tsukino had lost his temper. Darien expected him to rage and scream and was bracing himself for the onslaught but instead the furious older man turned and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him as he went.

Irene wasn't sure what to think with this information but the fact that a man as calm as her husband had actually thrown and smashed a coffee mug scared her very much. She stood up, called to Sammy not to leave until they returned and then, as an afterthought, smacked Darien in the face with all the strength she could muster before following her husband out the front door.

Darien knew he deserved the attack, and the attempt to smash a mug on his skull, but was still surprised that neither Serena's mother nor her father had yelled at him. He rushed after them out the front door. "Wait, where are you going?" He shouted.

"To find my daughter!" The older man yelled back to him over his shoulder. His wife hurried to catch up to him and Darien struggled to keep up the pace.

* * *

Serena woke shivering in the cold. It was still the middle of the night, if the moon hanging over her head was any indication, and she had absolutely no idea where she was. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to keep warm in the chilled air. She tried to keep the tears from falling down her face yet again, but failed miserably.

"…ena! … Serena!?"

What was that noise? Was someone calling her name, or was that just her imagination playing tricks on her again?

"Serena?!"

"Who … who's there?" Serena answered in a shaky voice. She didn't recognize the voice that was calling out to her but perhaps they knew her and were looking for her. She was still shaken from her previous encounter with a stranger but she doubted whether her frozen body would be able to run from the man belonging to that voice even if she wanted to.

"Serena?"

The voice was much louder now and Serena felt the fear overwhelming her. A second later a middle-aged man with dark hair hurried towards her and she shrank back in fright. When he came towards her again she shrieked and tried to run from him but couldn't stand up quickly enough and lost her balance.

"Honey? What's wrong? Serena?"

The man certainly seemed concerned about her and Serena felt herself being drawn to him. While she knew from painful experience she couldn't trust any stranger, she found herself wishing that she could run into his arms. Slowly she stepped forward and took his outstretched hand, crying openly.

"Sweetheart," he whispered into her ear. "What's happened to you?"

Serena felt safe in his arms as he held her and she collapsed into the man's chest, sobbing onto his shirt. She didn't know who this man was but she was happy he was there. She didn't know how long he held her like that before she heard more footsteps coming towards her and pulled away.

When Irene caught sight of her only daughter she held in a cry of relief and instead rushed forward to embrace her family. Serena's haggard appearance frightened her more than she'd thought possible but she knew that if they could only get their daughter home and take care of her, things would somehow be alright.

Darien was last to appear in the small clearing to see Serena's parents gently holding her injured body. Having already chased Serena around the city, he hadn't been able to keep up with the two terrified parents, who'd made it to the park in a surprisingly short amount of time. After checking only two other places her father had seemed drawn to Serena's location. Perhaps his bond to his daughter was stronger than the one that she and Darien shared.

Darien's panting alerted the Tsukino family to his presence. Serena turned from the people embracing her when she realized he was there as well. She was confused that his appearance seemed to have returned to what she remembered, and decided that whatever she had seen before she lost consciousness had been some kind of delusion. She stepped backwards, away from Darien, and her parents stood between them protectively.

"Serena," Darien spoke quietly, hoping not to frighten her again. "These… are your parents."

"My…" Serena couldn't believe her ears. How could he have not told her that she had a family?! "How could you …?" Her question died in her throat and she turned her head and looked back to the people standing in front of her affectionately. Her parents. She wasn't alone after all.

"Mom" she started meekly as the blue-haired woman's eyes filled with tears. "Father," she was surprised to see the eyes of the strong man before her were wet as well, "I can't remember you but … can we please go home?"

Ken and Irene Tsukino both nodded smiling and Ken lifted Serena gently off her feet, but as he carried her past Darien's sweating form she asked him to stop and she stood in front of the man she'd thought she loved once more. She straightened her back so that she reached her full height and, although she barely reached his shoulder in height, she seemed to tower over him.

"You lied to me Darien." Her expression was cold and painless, betraying nothing of the emotions swarming within her. "I trusted you and you took advantage of me. I never want to see you again."

**A/N: Aha! Another chapter out and I tried to have it early, even if it is a bit shorter than the others … I can't say for sure how much more there will be of this story but it's not over yet. I think there may be only one chapter left! Please review and I'll try to keep updating quickly (who needs to pass a pesky bio quiz anyways? Haha) I really enjoy reading your reviews. Thanks so much and please keep them coming. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this series!**

Chapter 11

Serena's father walked silently behind his wife and daughter. The only sounds they could hear as they walked out of the clearing were the quite sobs of his distraught daughter and the slow grinding of his knuckles. Darien had fallen silently to the ground and stayed there on his knees, staring at their backs as they left.

He had been surprised when Serena asked to speak to Darien for a moment before they left. He hadn't heard what she'd whispered to him, but it had certainly brought the young man to his knees. Darien had collapsed and, without looking back, Serena had walked away from him. He watched her now and wondered silently what could have happened to his little girl while they were gone, and what he could do now to take her pain away.

* * *

Serena's words cut through his soul. He couldn't see, couldn't breathe; couldn't think. All he could hear was Serena's words reverberating throughout his entire body as if to suffocate him.

"_I never want to see you again"_

Seven words had ended his life.

Without thinking about where he was or what he was doing Darien sank to his knees and stared at the retreating forms of his love. Even after they turned onto a path and he lost sight of their bodies he continued to stare. He couldn't help himself. She couldn't be gone.

It was some time before Darien was aware that his legs felt wet. He looked down and was almost surprised to find himself on the grass in a small clearing, with the morning dew slowly soaking through his pants. He stood up slowly, feeling as if he wasn't entirely sure of how to operate his own body anymore, and walked out of the park. His motorcycle was nowhere to be seen so he turned towards his apartment and began walking home.

On the way home Darien kept his eyes on the ground in front of him. His shoulders were hunched and he tried to be as invisible as he felt. By the time he was nearing his building the morning rush of people was beginning to take the streets but he failed to notice when he was jostled by the increasing crowd. He said nothing and made eye contact with no one. When he finally reached his apartment building he silently made his way to his floor.

The fact that his life was over was evident to Darien, as was the fact that it was entirely his fault. For, in that moment following Serena's words, he had seen it; how stupid he had been. It was his fault he trusted some dream more than his love for Serena, his fault she'd been hit by that car, his fault she couldn't remember her own life. And when the moment had come to be there for her, to protect her and help her through a time so difficult he was one of the few who could understand her pain, he chose to lie to her instead. He'd ruined everything while trying to find Serena the perfect life.

'Our relationship is over'.

Darien's mind tried to digest the thought but the words were far too familiar for him to comprehend. And then he realized she'd shouted that same phrase to him in retaliation before she'd stormed out of his life in anger. She'd thrown those same words back into his face like a bucket of icy water. They were his words.

Is this how she'd felt, when he'd ended it between them just a week ago? Had her heart bled until she was no longer able to process emotion? Had her body shook uncontrollably until she thought she would die with the pain of it all? Had he done to her what Serena's words were doing to him? Oh god, he had. He deserved every instant of this agony.

As he sat on the floor in his living room everything began to reveal itself to Darien. It had never been Serena's life he was trying to perfect. Guilt had kept him from telling her the truth about their shattered relationship. And he'd allowed himself to love her selfishly when it would have been better for her in the care of her friends and family. He'd taken her from the hospital before she was fully recovered for Christ's sake! He'd built his own perfect life without giving a damn whether he hurt her in the process.

And now it was over. No matter how much he may want to, he couldn't apologize to Serena. He couldn't throw himself at her feet and beg for the mercy he didn't deserve. She never wanted to see him again.

It took hours for Darien's tears to run out before he finally fell asleep in a crumpled ball on his living room floor.

* * *

The first thing Ami saw was her clock/alarm informing her that it was nearly, but not yet morning. The ringing of the phone sitting beside her head had pulled her from her sleep and she groggily reached an arm towards it. She finally managed to pick it up (after knocking her clock to the floor clumsily). Needless to say she was more than surprised to hear the irate voice of her best friend's mother on the other line.

She sat bolt upright in bed, wide awake, and began stammering her apologies for having made her wait on the line for so long. She threw in as many respectful terms as she could remember but she was cut off before she could finish her thought.

"What the fuck happened while I was gone?"

… Ami was too startled to respond. She'd heard such profanity twice before in her life but never from someone she knew and certainly never from the mouth of a lady. Even in her groggy state it was painfully obvious that Serena's mother was very upset.

"Mrs. Tsukino…" Ami stalled, trying to figure out how she could possibly explain what had happened in the past few days. "Five days ago Serena was hit by a car while crossing the street." Ami paused waiting for some kind of outburst but she heard only breathing from the other end. "After the accident, Serena couldn't remember … anything. Darien, he and Serena were … good friends and he tried to protect her. He took her back to his apartment and took care of her."

Ami couldn't quite believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. Why on earth was she defending the man that had caused her friend so much pain? Before she could figure out her own actions, the words continued flowing from her mouth.

"I know you must be angry Mrs. Tsukino, but Darien really did think he was doing what was best for Serena. He … he cares for her very much." Was this really what she thought?

"Well I certainly didn't get that impression tonight." Mrs. Tsukino finally answered; her voice considerably calmer than it had been moments ago. "Serena told him she never wanted to see him again!"

Ami was again stunned into silence. She had no idea what could have made her friend so angry with the man that loved her. Unless … was it possible that she remembered what he'd put her through? And if that was the case what else could she remember; perhaps the fact that she was Sailor Moon? There was only one way to find out.

"Uhh … Mrs. Tsukino I would really like to come over and see Serena, to make sure she's alright."

"I'm sorry but Serena's sleeping now and I really think she needs the rest. But I promise I'll have her call you."

The older woman's voice had returned to the kind and friendly tone Ami was used to hearing from Serena's mother and she thanked her before hanging up the phone. Ami crawled back into her bed but knew there was no way she'd be falling back asleep. She needed to talk to the other girls, and soon.

* * *

It seemed to take hours to finally reach home and Serena dragged her exhausted body up the walkway to what she assumed to be her front door. There was a motorcycle parked in the driveway, keys still in the ignition, that seemed familiar to her but she ignored it as she walked inside.

She found herself in the entrance to a neat and tidy home. It was by no means a mansion but Serena thought it would be more than comfortable for a small family. The living room was neat and as soon as she entered with her parents behind her a voice came shouting from the kitchen.

"Finally found her?" a boy's voice yelled towards them, "Man, Serena, are you in trouble now!"

A young boy walked into the room and looked at Serena standing on the step. She didn't recognize him but could only assume that he was her younger brother, their faces were too alike for him to be unrelated. When she didn't answer his teasing his face grew concerned and he looked at her more closely.

"Spaced out again meatball head?" He nearly shouted, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Sammy, knock it off!" Her father shouted from behind her and the young boy winced at the reprimand. Then the older man turned Serena around to look at her face. Her cheeks were still tear-stained and her hair had become a tangled mess. "Why doesn't your mother go and help you get ready for bed." He suggested softly. Serena nodded and followed her mother up the nearby stairs.

Irene gently helped Serena into the tub which was filled with hot, bubbly water. Serena relaxed considerably as her mother gently washed her hair, but she couldn't stop the tears from pouring down her face once again. Her mother noticed them immediately.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" She asked her softly.

"I don't remember any of this! This house… these rooms… my family!" Serena broke down in sobs and Irene, completely disregarding the water getting everywhere, reached towards her daughter and wrapped her in a hug. She stroked her hair gently and whispered soothingly into her ear, trying to calm her down.

When Serena's head drooped onto her shoulder she realized that her daughter must be exhausted and so she helped her into a pair of fuzzy pajamas and laid her into bed. Serena's gentle snores filled the dimly lit room before she'd even reached the door.

* * *

When Serena awoke she could feel the sun's warm rays shining onto her through an open window. The wind blew softly, cooling her down. She felt very peaceful. When she opened her eyes and realized that she didn't recognize her surroundings she managed to prevent the panic from overtaking her. She calmly got out of bed and found her way to her dresser.

Opening the drawers to her dresser Serena realized that almost all of her clothes had been dragged to Darien's apartment a few days earlier. She just slipped into the first pair of pants and shirt she could find and, without a glance at the mirror, made her way downstairs. Something sure smelled good.

When she reached the lower level of the house Serena followed her nose to find her way to the kitchen. She found her mother standing near the stove, an apron tied expertly around her waist. Her father and brother were sitting at the table and both looked at her as she entered. She could tell from the look she was getting from her brother that her parents had explained to him that she had no idea who he was.

As she stood uncertainly in the entrance to the kitchen, Sammy got up and came over to her, extending his hand. "I'm Sammy," he said to her awkwardly, "your little brother."

Serena pulled him into a one-armed hug and thanked him for being so sweet to her, which only proved to her brother that she had truly lost her mind. All the same he led her to the table and let her take the first helping of her favorite chocolate chip pancakes. Serena only realized after biting into them that she was absolutely famished.

"Where's Rini?" She asked, with her mouth full of pancaky-goodness.

"Who dear?" Was her father's reply.

"Umm … Rini, your niece! Pink hair, pain in my side?"

Her mother and father offered Serena strange looks but didn't comment on this Rini person before changing the subject to the weather. Serena stared at both of them. How could they not remember her? Was it possible she'd imagined her? But then, Darien had known her too… None of this made any sense.

While she was pondering her strange disappearance, Serena's mind brought her back the memory she'd regained. She distinctly remembered such a strong animosity towards the little girl… Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if she wasn't around after all. Before she'd finished breakfast she'd put all thoughts of the little girl completely out of her mind.

* * *

Serena spent a pleasant day in her family's company, but when she awoke the next morning and looked out of her window she noticed the red motorcycle sitting in her driveway. It seemed so familiar to her, perhaps it was hers? Giggling at the thought, Serena bounded down the stairs smiling.

"Mom!" She called when she entered the kitchen "That bike out front, who's is it?"

Her mother stood still for a moment, not meeting Serena's eyes, before she exhaled slowly and answered, "It belongs to Darien, honey."

Serena's insides turned to ice but she refused to let her mother see how much that name alone affected her. Before she could realize that there was anything wrong Serena summoned her most cheerful voice (which was obviously forced) and said quickly said "Oh … well then I guess I'd better get it back to him."

"Oh Serena, you don't have to …" Irene wasn't sure what she was going to say. That Serena never had to see him again? That somehow didn't seem right, but Serena cut her off before she could come up with an ending for her thought.

"I know a friend of Darien's" Serena said, thinking of Andrew and deciding she needed to face him, "I'll ask him to return it." Her mother agreed and so, after a hurried breakfast Serena took the keys for the motorcycle off of her counter and headed out into the street.

As she walked slowly towards the arcade, trying to remember her way, Serena heard someone calling her name. Turning around, she saw Ami running towards her and calling her name. She smiled and answered her and in seconds the blue-haired girl had caught up.

"Are you alright?" She asked as soon as the girls had resumed walking towards the arcade.

"I think I will be," Serena answered. "It's been a hard couple of days."

Ami told Serena that she'd heard pieces of what happened from someone but wasn't wiling to say who, which she thought was very strange. Ami seemed to sense that Serena didn't want to talk about it though, and was perfectly willing to change the subject. She tried to fill her in as much as she could about her favorite video games before she arrived at the arcade, assuming that this was her reason for going there.

When the glass doors slid open to reveal the shining arcade, Serena suppressed a sigh and headed straight towards the counter where Andrew was wiping a glass. When he saw her he stopped and looked into her eyes anxiously. He seemed to be waiting for her to explode at him but relaxed slightly when she smiled. She reached the counter and they both stood silently for an awkward minute.

"Andrew," Serena finally broke the silence, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I know you were only trying to help me."

"Serena … I'm sorry. I didn't mean to …" Andrew didn't seem to know how to answer.

"It's alright Andrew. It's just that, well Darien and I aren't exactly … speaking anymore. He accidentally left his motorcycle at my house and I was hoping you might be able to return it to him."

Andrew stared at her for a moment. They weren't speaking? Was this why he hadn't heard from Darien in days? He agreed to help Serena without thinking and arranged to collect the bike from her house as soon as his shift ended. At least this way he'd be able to find out what was going on with his best friend.

Serena left the arcade feeling confident that she was making all the right decisions now. She could return Darien's bike and get all her stuff from him without having to see him. Things were finally beginning to look up for her.

* * *

A dull 'thud' pulled Darien out of his trance. It took him a surprising amount of effort to stand up and drag himself across the living room to the front door. He unlocked it and turned back to his couch, collapsing on it without looking to see who was at his door.

Andrew stepped into the apartment and took a look around. He had never seen it so messy, empty bottles littered Darien's living room floor and he thought he could see glass shards near the window. If he thought the room was disturbing, it was nothing to the state of Darien himself.

His face was unshaven and his hair was untidy. He sat on his couch in the dark and stared blankly in front of him. Andrew cautiously walked into the living room and sat on the couch next to his friend.

"Darien?" He asked timidly, "Are… Are you okay buddy?"

Darien didn't respond to the question. He slid off the couch and sat on the floor. Andrew looked down at him with pity. It looked as if he hadn't changed his clothes in days.

"I … I saw Serena today." He tried again to get a response. The effect was instantaneous. Darien sprang to his knees so that he was facing Andrew and eye level.

"You saw her? Is she alright? She's not hurt is she?"

"She's fine." Andrew answered, taken aback by the sudden change in Darien's demeanor. "She … uhh … I brought your bike back."

Darien nodded silently. He truly hadn't even noticed it was missing.

Andrew didn't want to repeat Serena's name and upset Darien again but he'd also promised to pick up her things. "Uh Dare … where're Serena's things?"

Darien didn't respond as he had before. He didn't speak at all, he merely pointed at the corner of the room. Andrew moved to where he indicated and saw Serena's things neatly folded in a suitcase, each of them in pristine condition. He closed the suitcase and dragged it across the room. He looked back and couldn't bear to leave his friend in this state. He needed to find out what was going on. He kneeled in front of him and tried to look into his eyes. Darien stared right through him as if he wasn't there.

"Darien, what happened?"

"She's gone 'Drew. Forever. And it's all my fault. I've lost the only thing that ever mattered in my life. Now I have nothing."

"Come on," Andrew tried to console him, "I know Serena's upset but you never know, maybe she'll come around. And you don't have nothing… you've still got me bud." He punched him playfully in the shoulder but Darien still didn't respond. The punch sent him leaning back into his couch's cushions. "Please call me Darien. I promise things will look up."

And on that sad note he left the apartment, making his way back to Serena's house with her things.

Darien looked up when he heard the door close behind Andrew. It meant a lot to him that his friend was still there for him, it really did; but somehow he couldn't let go of the fact that he'd lost the most important thing in his life.

Whether it was minutes or hours later Darien didn't know, but it was some time before he realized that he was feeling something within him that meant something important. It was the scouts. They were in trouble; they needed Tuxedo Mask's help. They needed his help. He couldn't let them down any more than he already had. Climbing to his feet he transformed quickly into his alter-ego and leapt from his balcony.

**A/N: Hello! I'm so sorry for the late update! I hope you enjoyed this chapter even though it is quite dark. Clearly this isn't yet the end, though I think it's near. Please review and let me know what you're thinking I really love reading them. Thanks so much to all the readers and reviewers and a huge thanks to my beta (what would I do without you babe?).**


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